Mark of the Wolf
by Vkitty
Summary: Harry Potter is abused as a child and one night everything changes drastically. But what happens when he has to leave everything he knows behind and go save the world he was born into? FINISHED Sequel to be up soon...
1. Default Chapter

A lone cub  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  
  
They had gotten sick of him. Utterly sick, Sick of seeing his face everyday and of having to punish him for his seeming (to them) offences. Uncle Vernon grabbed Harry by the hair and dragged him out to the car, yelling curse words. He muttered incomprehensibly as he drove out to the countryside near a forest a good fifty miles away, then let Harry out and drove back home.  
  
_The leaves scream with silence_  
  
_and I am alone_  
  
Harry, only four years old, didn't understand what he had done to deserve this kind of punishment.  
  
_My hands reach out but fail to grasp_  
  
Harry wandered around the woods, clutching his ridiculously oversized sweatshirt to him. He saw something on a tree, a mark carved into it. There were people somewhere around here.  
  
_the last link with sanity  
  
_Night was falling now, as Harry decided to go to sleep for the night. The glossy full moon rose above the clouds and Harry heard a wolf howl. Something crunched right next to him. Harry looked up, and looked around, nothing.  
  
_The waves of bewilderment flow over me  
and I am lost.  
  
My ears re-echo the silence  
and I am deaf_  
  
He curled up into a ball and hoped someone would rescue him.  
  
_My mind probes the vacant past  
but the past is lost_  
  
Another wolf howled, and Harry began to cry, fearing that he would be eaten by wolves.  
  
_The waves of emotion flow over me  
and I am silent  
My eyes gaze upon emptiness  
and I am blind_  
  
Something was definitely walking towards him now, maybe a person? Harry looked up and tried to scream.  
  
_My lips move in trembling speech  
but no sound comes forth._  
  
His feet were too tired to run as he silently gazed at the nine-foot tall wolf-like thing. It walked on two legs.  
  
_The waves of desire flow over me  
and I am afraid._  
  
The wolf gazed back, its eyes like stormy clouds; it sniffed his scent and came a step forward. Harry moved a step back. The wolf moved back again, cocking its head. Suddenly it lunged after Harry, grabbing his arm with its sharp teeth, piercing the skin. Harry let out a strangled cry as blood poured from the wound. The wolf dragged him away.


	2. The Pack

The Pack  
  
Harry awoke in the morning to find himself in a cave of some kind . A fire was in the center of the large cave-room and there were furs lying on the ground. He sat up and looked at his arm; it was all bandaged up. He just KNEW there were humans in this forest.  
  
"He's awake! He's awake!" someone yelled. It was immediately followed by a kind of yipping howl . The person ran back to him and held up a bowl. "Here, it's water," he said. Harry saw that it was a boy, probably around a year older than him, wearing tan colored pants with a crude leather belt and a dagger hanging from the belt . Harry grabbed the bowl and drank the water.  
  
"Thanks," he croaked. "What happened?" he asked.  
  
"Is your bite okay?" the boy asked, ignoring his question.  
  
"Yeah, I think so," Harry said.  
  
"Here, there's new clothes for you that Torra made for you," the boy said, holding up some pants that were similar to his . "You were asleep for a while, but we've got some food over here," he pointed to a bowl of meat and fruit, "in case you're hungry," he said.  
  
"Where am I?" Harry asked. "What happened? Who are you?"  
  
"I'm Milford Grayveson, you can call me Ford," he said, holding out his hand. Harry shook his hand and took in Ford's appearance. Ford had blond hair, cut short but long enough so that it didn't stand straight up, and tanned skin.  
  
"I'm Harry, Harry Potter," Harry said.  
  
"I'd better start from the beginning," Ford said. "You know what a werewolf is, right Harry?"  
  
"I...I think so," Harry said.  
  
"Well, as soon as that bite clears up a bit, you're gonna be one," Ford said.  
  
"What?" Harry asked, "But werewolves aren't real," he said.  
  
"Aren't you a wizard?" Ford asked. "Dismas said that he found you, with another werewolf, near a wizard's house . But, he could be wrong... he is a little senile."  
  
"A werewolf?" Harry asked again.  
  
"Yes, Harry, I thought we'd gotten past that part. A werewolf. You're going to be a werewolf. Lucky for you, last night was the last full moon for a while, you get to learn a little before your first transformation," Ford said.  
  
"Transformation? Into a w-werewolf?"  
  
"Harry, get it in your head. You got bitten by a werewolf, in less than a month, you will transform into one . Until then you have to learn a little about the rules. " Ford held up a pair of pants. "Here's your clothes, after you're dressed you have to go to see the Alpha, and then I'm to hand you over to Dymphna. She'll teach you about the rules and the rites and what-not," he said.  
  
"Alpha? Like in a wolf pack?" Ford nodded.  
  
"Now get out of those clothes, they're far too large for you."  
  
The Alpha Male's cave was the farthest to the left, about a half a mile away, and was decorated with large colorful flowers outside the entrance . Ford told Harry that the flowers were replaced everyday, though Harry couldn't figure out why he needed to know this.  
  
"So you go straight in there, and Alpha will be waiting," Ford said, giving Harry a light shove. Harry stumbled on his feet, and then walked into the dark cave . He soon was in a room, like the one he had been in, only with one fur blanket on the floor. A rather large man with a beard reclined on the blanket, eyes closed.  
  
"A-are you the Alpha Male?" Harry asked . The man motioned him to sit on the fur next to him . It was silent for a few moments before the man's voice broke the silence.  
  
"Your name?" he asked.  
  
"Harry Potter," Harry said. The man nodded.  
  
"I am Odyn, of the Red-Talon pack," he said.  
  
"It's nice to meet you," Harry said, trying to be polite. Odyn looked down at Harry.  
  
"You are very young," he said.  
  
"I just started primary school," Harry said.  
  
"Yes, very young," Odyn said. "Still a cub," he said. "You may go now. " Harry immediately scrambled to his feet and ran quickly out of the dark atmosphere of the cave. When he got outside, a girl was waiting for him. She was about thirteen or fourteen, wearing a rather shapeless tan smock with no sleeves. On a belt around her waist hung the same type of knife that Harry had seen Ford wearing, along with a pouch. Her hair was dark and long with many gray strands, and her skin was browned with white patches, her eyes were brown. She wasn't paying any attention to him, but eating a piece of dried meat.  
  
"Hello?" Harry asked.  
  
"Oh, Harry, right?" the girl asked, handing the meat to him . "Want some?" she asked. Harry shook his head . "You're choice," she said, putting the meat in the pouch. "So, I'm Dymphna, I'm supposed to show you around a bit," she said, brushing off her hands. Harry noticed that her nails were pointed like claws.  
  
"You're to tell me the rules too?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, okay. Apparently you know more about this gig than I do," she said, holding out her hand for him to shake. "I'm from the Glass Walkers, a cliath with nothing better to do than run around doing errands for nearby tribes. ' Course none of them trust Glass Walkers so the errands aren't big ones," she said.  
  
"Glass Walkers?" Harry asked. "Are those like the Red-Talons?"  
  
"Oh, no," Dymphna shook her head. "Completely opposite. Red-Talons won't even HIRE Glass Walker cliaths. They're all about pure-breeding and human-prejudice and that stuff. I'd better explain from the beginning, as I was pretty much told to, but completely ignored," she said.  
  
"Yeah, you should." Harry said.  
  
"So, in werewolf-ness, there's a lot of old lore. Load of bollocks if you ask me, but since I'm supposed to teach you and all," she took a breath, "when were you born?" she asked.  
  
"What does that have to do with werewolf-ness?" Harry asked, adopting her word.  
  
"Everything, now when were you born?" Dymphna repeated.  
  
"July 31st," Harry said.  
  
"Five or six years ago, am I right?" she asked.  
  
"Five," Harry said.  
  
"Hm...I think that was a Crescent moon, you're good at magic?" she asked.  
  
"Magic doesn't exist. My uncle used to tell me all the time.," he said, wincing at the thought of his uncle.  
  
"Ah, little Harry, "magic" doesn't exist, but wizardry does," Dymphna said. "I'd be an excellent witch myself if my father wasn't a werewolf, stupid odds. I was born under the Crescent moon myself, so welcome to the club."  
  
"So if you're mag- a sorcerer, then a werewolf bites you, then the werewolf erases the magic?" Harry asked.  
  
"Not exactly. Here, sit down, Harry, this'll take a while to explain. There's a nice patch of green right there." Dymphna sat down on the grass and Harry sat across from her . "You see, if a child is born half werewolf, half human, then there's a one in ten chance that he'll come out werewolf, you're too young to understand the statistics like that, so here. " Dymphna grabbed a few sticks from the area and put a few down . "How much is that?" she asked. Harry counted the sticks.  
  
"That's ten.," he said. "I'm not stupid, you know."  
  
"Aye, indeed. So, you'd understand this. Pretend that these ten sticks," she gestured to the ten sticks, "are little babies, you've seen a little baby before, right?"  
  
"Yes," Harry said.  
  
"So, then those little babies are newborns, all of them are either half werewolf half human, or half werewolf half wolf. You still with me there, Harry?" Harry nodded . "So nine of those babies," she took away one of the sticks, "will turn out pure human, maybe with magic, maybe not . You get it?" she asked.  
  
"It's a little confusing. Why does one half werewolf and one not?" he asked.  
  
"That's the odds that are so stupid. One in ten, so nine are normal happy-wizard-muggle offspring, one's moody-not-normal-werewolf-offspring . Of course there are no mudblood werewolves so there."  
  
"Mudblood?" Harry asked. "What's that mean? What's a Muggle?"  
  
"Don't say that word," Dymphna said.  
  
"So what does it mean? Is it bad language like Dudley always uses?" Harry asked. Dudley always used words that he'd picked up from staying at his Aunt Marge's house, like 'bollocks' or 'arse'. Of course when Harry used the words, he was punished.  
  
"Well, to some people it's bad language. But we really shouldn't be getting into that right now. So, we've got the sticks thing down..." Dymphna scratched her chin trying to think of another thing. "Ah, yes, the Litany."  
  
"Litany?" Harry asked.  
  
"It's like werewolf slang for "rules. " There are very few, but they're very specific. The first and foremost is respect the territory of another. " She smiled at Harry. "You know what that means, right?"  
  
"Don't go to someone else's house without asking first?" he asked.  
  
"Something like that. The Law: Whenever a Garou," she stopped at Harry's look of confusion. "A Garou is a fancy word for 'werewolf'," she said. "So, whenever a Garou approaches another werewolf's territory, he must announce himself first and ask permission to enter . The traditional method involves the Howl of Introduction, reciting one's name, sept, totem, tribe, and home tribe . A few packs also insist on a visitor's lineage, establishing whether he is pure bred. In addition to these precautions, a werewolf should mark his territory, whether with scent or clawed sigils, to keep peace with other garou," she said.  
  
"Howl of introduction?" Harry asked . "What's that?"  
  
"It's mostly only during wolf form, and then it comes naturally, so you don't have to worry about that," Dymphna said. "The second rule is submission to those higher than you. Cub to a cliath, cliath to a gov'ner ," she said.  
  
"What's a cliath?" Harry asked.  
  
"I'll get to that after the rules," she said . "A few tribes and clans, like the Bone Gnawers, don't do this, in their eyes all wolves are equal; then again another tribe, the Get of Ferris, only bows to a higher werewolf if the higher werewolf can royally kick their arse," Dymphna said.  
  
"What tribe is this?" Harry asked.  
  
"This tribe is the Fianna of the Dark Forest. Odyn joined this tribe when his mate asked him to, the Red-Talons were too fierce for her, so he obeyed and soon he was the strongest out of all of the Fiannas and he became leader," she said.  
  
"What's the next rule?" Harry asked.  
  
"The third rule, and the last of the important ones, is 'Ye shall not eat the flesh of the humans'. It was established in 1988 during the beginnings of the big diet craze. Of course a few tribes already had it in motion with the growth of cities in the west in the 1800s, too much law enforcement not to be caught," she said. "Then all of the rules don't matter anymore, but you'll learn them anyway."  
  
"Diet craze?" Harry asked.  
  
"Too many humans eating preservatives, so the flesh wasn't as succulent. And of course you could get a disease eating a human who had one ," Dymphna said. "And then we go onto the Moots."  
  
"Moots?" Harry asked. "Ford told me that Dismas found me during a Revelry after a Moot."  
  
"They had a moot last night? Hm.. I'd known that I'd've come sooner." Dymphna said. "Anyway, a Moot is sort of a party, though Fianna's hold Moots that are far less fun than Glass Walker Moots. They say Moots are to reinforce a tribes political power, I say it's a way to get drunk on a Sunday night and not be guilty."  
  
"And a Revelry comes afterwards?" Harry asked.  
  
"A Revelry is when, after the drunkenness, everyone runs off the pentup energy. Personally, I think it's just a way to get rid of the werewolves that are too old, if they try to keep up too much with the young wolves then they might die."  
  
"This happens during a full moon?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, you see what happens, is that a Moot goes on during the day, and then when the sun sets and the full moon comes out, we all run ourselves crazy for the night."  
  
"Oh, I get it now," Harry said.  
  
"That's about all you have to know, pretty much. You'll learn the rest in your studies," Dymphna said.  
  
"Studies?" Harry asked.  
  
"You have to learn to read and write, and do math and all that, right?" she asked. "Then of course there's the tales you have to learn, and how to perfect the howls even in human form. After you finish, when you're about my age, then you get to go through the Rite of Passage."  
  
"Rite of Passage? You haven't told me about that yet ," Harry said.  
  
"Crap, I forgot. The Rite of Passage is when a cub, someone like you, gets to become a cliath, someone like me," she said. "It's very complicated. Sometimes if there's only one cub that has finished their schooling and has to do the Rite of Passage, then the Alpha, Odyn in your case, sends him to another pack where he may find a few more cubs that are about to go through a Rite of Passage, which usually is an extremely dangerous journey."  
  
"What did you do for your Rite of Passage?" Harry asked.  
  
"Keep in mind that tribes are very different, so my Rite of Passage was to gain two thousand dollars in the stock market ," Dymphna said.  
  
"So that's not how mine will be?" Harry asked. Dymphna shook her head.  
  
"A Rite of Passage is just to make sure that you can survive which what has been taught to you. Glass Walkers hid as successful humans in the Muggle world, so they have much different Rites of Passage," she said. "Then after that, you become a cliath, which is basically the end of schooling and the beginning in the "working world", you have to run errands for the wolves in your clan or in another clan, thus I am here. After that you get a real job as something in the clan, a warrior or a provider or something. But usually you have to be adult to get that."  
  
"I'm afraid I'll forget all of this," Harry said.  
  
"Don't worry, it's drilled into your brain over the years ," Dymphna said. "Here, it's something from a cheap antique shop, I just thought it looked pretty cool." Dymphna drew an old looking necklace from pouch. It had a tiny crystal in the shape of a crescent moon for a pendant. "It'll look good on you, though it might be too girly, you can barely see it though on your skin," she said, handing it to him.  
  
"Thank you," Harry said.  
  
"No problem, that two thousand dollars had to be spent on something other than drugs and booze for the Moot next week," she said. "How about we go back to the pack, you can get something to eat. It's not right that I can see all of your ribs!"

"Dymphna?" Harry asked. "What if I don't fit in?"  
  
"Don't worry, you'll be great. Pack a few pounds on and you'll be the most handsome five year old in the history of the Fianna," Dymphna said. "Plus, it's the creed that a pack must accept a new werewolf. Be not prejudiced," she said, getting up. Harry got up and stood next to her.  
  
"Do you really do drugs?" he asked.  
  
"Nope, but it's what the money goes to in my tribe," she said.


	3. Being Found

Being Found  
  
Dymphna showed Harry the more important aspects of the camp; well at least to her: the bathroom, the caves and the lake. Then she told him to go off to the "class" that was going on near the caves.  
  
"And remember to take care of that necklace, I come back in a few years and I find it broken, you're gonna be in trouble." she said. Harry nodded and ran off to the class, Ford was there, along with six other bright-eyed youths sitting around a table (which was more a large flat stone placed on four boulders).  
  
"Oh, you must be the new boy." A woman with long blonde hair, streaked with brown, dressed in a sleevless tan top and a tan skirt, with a no belt.  
  
"I'm Harry." Harry said.  
  
"Well, you're welcome to sit down, Harry, we're right in the middle of Arithmetic. You can share with Maeve." she said, pointing to a dark-haired girl with feral yellow eyes and pale skin, there were black circles around her eyes and she was thin. Harry went to sit down next to the girl and she put the book in the middle.  
  
"We're learning about adding." she said simply in a whisper. "Do you know about adding?" she asked. Harry nodded. "Good." she said. The lesson was very different than Harry's old school, it included sticks and rocks, and also writing tallies. There wasn't much use of numbers, when Harry questioned Ford about this later, he said it was because only Providers get to use real numbers, you learn it after your Rite of Passage. After the class, everyone went out to the lake to swim. A boy named Abbott jumped into the water with his arms and legs spread wide, like a fish, he came back up sputtering out water. Harry stayed by the edge of the water.  
  
"Come on in, Harry!" Ford said.  
  
"I don't know how to swim." Harry said.  
  
"Don't worry!" Ford grabbed Harry by the ankle and pulled him in. Harry flailed for a minute, before realizing that he was floating. "It comes naturally, see?" Ford asked, swimming across the lake. The kids splashed eachother with water, threw fishes, and rocks at eachother. One boy got hit by a particularly big rock and started crying, the teacher grabbed him from the water and took him back to the caves.  
  
"'Spossed to wear that stuff on the inside boy!" A girl playfully poked Harry's rib. Harry took his glasses and the necklace off and left them on the edge of the lake, then joined in the water games. Today's game seemed to be grabbing something and throwing it, ammo included: fishes, rocks, bugs, flowers, other children. One girl got hoisted out of the water and thrown clear across the lake, screaming with laughter. Harry ducked underwater when a hand reached out to grab him, then resurfaced.  
  
"GOTCHA!" Harry was raised out of the water and dunked back down by a rather large boy named Hilton.  
  
"TEN MORE MINUTES!" the teacher yelled. The children ignored her and kept playing. One girl latched onto the back of a boy and yelled "GEE UP!", the boy was forced to chauffeur her around for the rest of the time. When it was time to get out of the lake, the kids grudgingly clambered out of the water, grabbed their discarded belts (along with knives, pouches, and other needed items) and put them back on. Harry took a look at his glasses, realizing that he didn't need them, and threw them into the forest. To dry themselves off, the children simply shook themselves free of any water, then ran back to the caves, where dinner was being served. They all sat down at a table where there were a few adults already, the Alpha at the head of the long table, and began to eat the meat placed in front of them greedily.  
  
Later when asked, Harry replied that this had been the best day of his life.  
  
Six years later, Hogwarts  
  
Albus Dumbledore sat among thousands of returned letters, all addressed to Harry Potter. He'd sent Hagrid a yesterday to fetch Harry from the house, and he hadn't returned yet.  
  
"Albus," Professor McGonagall walked into his office. "Hagrid just returned, Harry Potter is not at the muggle's house." she said. "I asked Professor Flitwick to do some tracing charms and we've managed to pinpoint a location." she said. "Harry Potter is in the Forbidden Forest."  
  
"Haha!" Harry yelled with triumph, as he managed to pin Felan Caolaidhe onto the forest floor. He stood up and raised his fist in the air. "Undefeated!" he yelled.  
  
"Fine, have your jewelry back!" Felan said, handing Harry's necklace back. Harry grabbed it and put it back around his neck.  
  
"Back where it belongs!" he said.  
  
"So you've got a Glass Walker friend, big whoop." Felan said. Harry, now a clever boy of (one day past) eleven was out and out the smartest boy in his class; and by far the most smug about his abilties. The Caolaidhe family had been the first to accept Harry into their family, so he stayed with them. And Felan was the self-proclaimed leader of their gang. The gang consisted of three people: Harry (treasurer), Felan (leader), and Fiona (Fi, secretary).

"When's the next Moot? I need to drink myself into a stupor." Fi Faoiltiarna, a elevenish (no one was sure on her exact age) girl with dark hair and hazel eyes came walking into the cave with the normal tan dress on.

"What? Fi, no hug?" Felan asked. Fi stuck her tongue out at him and sat down across from where Harry was doing a small dance of joy.

"Harry, stop dancing." Fi commanded, in a voice that all too well meant "do it or you'll have a very untimely demise". Harry stopped dancing, and looked at her.

"What happened now?" he asked.

"Keavy burned all my pants and is forbidding me to fight with anybody for a week." Fi said.

"That's like hell for you." Felan said.

"Thank you very much, Felan, Prince of Rabbits." Fi said.

"So you're drinking yourself into a stupor because you can't fight?" Harry asked. "There's tons of other stuff to do around here!" he said.

"Yeah, you can...make clothes and clean the caves.." Felan said.

"I don't want to do any of those sissy things." Fi said. "I'm not happy sewing clothes or doing any of that stuff, it's too time consuming."

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"What's what?" Felan asked.

"Humans." Fi said, sniffing the air.

"How? Humans rarely travel into the Dark Forest." Felan said.

"Unless they're very large or coming in packs." Harry said. Suddenly a howl went through the camp.

"Yep, humans," Fi said. Felan listened to the howl.

"They're calling for ya, Harry." he said.

"But, why?" Harry asked.

"I donno, human expertise?" Fi asked. "You're the only one of us that knows as much as you know." she said.

"We're coming with you." Felan said. "For protection, they might try to take you back."

"I don't think that's too possible." Harry said.

"But still, they could be something horrible like... head hunters or cannibals or those people who use werewolf coats in Sri Lanka." Fi said.

"Where do you get all this?" Felan asked, "These massive stores of information that you let loose from time to time?"

"I read a lot." she declared. "Either way, we're coming with you, Harry. Remember the club's code." she said.

"Store the best and give the worst?" Harry asked.

"No, not that one." Fi said.

"Don't declare war on peaceful animals?" Felan asked.

"The other one!" Fi said.

"Oh, you mean eat ye not of a buck's bollocks?" Harry asked.

"No, but that's a good one too." Fi said. "Oh, well, let's go."

A/N: Sorry I didn't do any other chapters with all of that childhood friendship stuff between the three. This chapter was royally the worst. Hey, at least I did one thing with the him being accepted at the beginning!

COOKIES AND MILK TO ALL REVIEWERS!!

PS: (8-20-04) Alas, a chapter I rewrote...I think. I'm not sure, it might just be the next chapter. Oh well, I'll be rewriting things like this every few chapters. So you might want to read it through again.


	4. Being Magical

Being Magical

The three cubs ran over to where one of the warriors guarding the camp stood.

"Harry, this man is here to see you. He says he is a friend." Harpin, the guard, said.

"Who is he?" Harry asked, looking at the giant man with lots of hair.

"Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts." the man said, holding out his hand.

"Yes, but what do you want with me?" Harry asked.

"I told you they wanted to take you." Felan said.

"You aren't from Sri Lanka are you?" Fi asked.

"No," Hagrid said.

"What do you want with me?" Harry repeated. Hagrid took a letter out of his pocket.

"Here." he said, handing the letter to Harry.

"Don't open it, Harry, it might be Wolfsbane inside." Felan said.

"I'd know if it was Wolfsbane." Harry said, opening the letter.

"Harry, what exactly are you doing here?" Hagrid asked. "Why aren't you with the Dursleys?"

"The Dursleys?" Felan spat. "What kind of name is that, Harry Dursley? Sorry, Harry, but it doesn't quite fit."

"Be quiet for a moment, will ya Felan?" Fi asked, looking at the letter in Harry's hands. "What's it all about?" she asked.

"What's Hogwarts?" Harry asked. "And why have I been accepted to it?" he asked.

"Because, Harry, you're a wizard." Hagrid said.

"A wizard? Those don't exist!" Felan said. He leaned into Fi and whispered, "Do they?" Fi shrugged.

"It's a very possible fact. I mean, whatever happened to 'Werewolves don't exist', or 'Scars always heal'? Eh?" she asked.

"Scars don't heal, that's why they're called scars." Felan said.

"I still want to know what Hogwarts is." Harry said. "Is it that school that Dymphna told me about that one time? The one over there that accepts Mud- muggleborns?" he asked.

"Harry, do you know nothing?" Hagrid asked. "Hogwarts is a school that will teach you magic." he said.

"Like Durmstrang?" Harry asked.

"The kid knows about Durmstrang but he doesn't know about Hogwarts." Hagrid muttered. "Just come with me."

"You have to ask Odyn before you take him!" Hardin said.

"Odyn? Who's that?" Hagrid asked.

"The Alpha Male of our tribe." Fi said.

"And what tribe might this be?" Hagrid asked.

"The Fianna." Felan said.

"The Fianna? Like the werewolf tribe?" Hagrid asked. "No, it couldn' be! Harry, you're a...you're a..."

"I'm a what?" Harry asked.

"A werewolf?" Hagrid asked. "Dumbledore won't be happy about this, he won't be happy about this at all."

"Is he a bit...mad?" Felan whispered to Harry. Harry shrugged.

"I'm not quite sure," Harry said.

"I suppose I'll have to talk to this, Odyn bloke then." Hagrid said, recovering from his litle spaz attack. "Where is he?" he asked.

"Here, I'll take you to him." Hardin said, leading the way to Odyn's cave.

"Harry, you can't go." Felan said. "You haven't even finished your Rite of Passage yet, what if you don't get to and then you'll old and you won't be a cliath and you won't get proper training to be anything!" he said.

"Yeah, Harry, remember, we were all supposed to be Warriors together?" Fi asked.

"Don't worry, I'll be back for the Rite of Passage, it's not until the summers, right? So I can stay here during the summer and catch up!" he said.

"You know what this means, right Harry?" Felan asked. "We're going to have to find a replacement for your job. Remember, the club code." Felan said.

"Stay away from evil dolls, you can never be too sure." Fi said.

"But we don't even know if I'm going yet!" Harry said.

"Oh, please, you're Odyn's favorite, he'll let you get away with everything. Even bad stuff like...stealing food " Fi said.

"Fi..." Harry said. "Look, there comes that man." he said, pointing to Hagrid who was now walking back to where they were standing.

"Okay, cleared it all up with your leader, he said it's okay to take you but you have to be back before the end of the summer, so you can have the proper ceremonies." he said.

"Can we go?" Felan asked.

"Sorry, but I don't think that would be too appropriate." Hagrid said.

"But we have to go, what about the Sri Lankans? And the Communists?" Fi asked.

"I think it would be better if you stayed here." Harry said. Felan looked hurt. "Just for your own safety, against the...Sri Lankans," Harry said.

"I guess it isn't the end of the world if you're coming back in a few days." Fi said, looking at the ground. Felan looked down at the ground also.

"Bring us something back." Felan said.

"Don't worry." Harry said. "I promise I will." he looked up at Hagrid. "I think I should go now."

"Very well," Hagrid said. When Felan and Fi looked up, the pair was gone.

"Hey, he forgot his necklace!" Felan said, pointing to the ground where the crescent pendant was laying.  
  
"Must've got unlatched when he was walking." Fi said.

"We should give it back." Felan said, a predatory smile coming on his face.

"I think you're right, my little rabbit friend." Fi said, picking up the necklace. "He'd be in big trouble if his Glass Walker friend caught him without it." she said.

"Let's go then. They can't have gotten far." Felan said. "And we all know how slow humans are."

"Even large ones." Fi said. "So let's go." Five minutes later, they were still standing in the same spot.

"I donno, I'm a bit hungry." Felan said.

"So, eat, sleep, wash, then go?" Fi asked. Felan nodded.

"That sounds good."

A/N: And we are in the confusing chapters. In which I have NO IDEA what to write. Next chapter: Being In London, Harry sees the big....ger city and someone from his past. I'll give ya a hint (cough) Dymphna (cough). He buys presents for his friends and we figure out what Felan's deal with Capitalism is and what Fi's biggest fear is. Well, maybe.

PS: I do realize that this whole chapter was pointless dialogue, but ya know, it was the best i can do!

PSS: (8-20-04) This is one of the chapters I decided to rewrite. I realized it was a bit over the top when I reread it, so I hope this version is better.


	5. Being in Jeans

Being Fully Dressed

"Hagrid, where are we going?" Harry asked when Hagrid led him through the trees.

"We're going to Hogwarts, we'll take the floo from there and go to the Leaky Cauldron." Hagrid said.

"Leaky Cauldron? Is that near here?" Harry asked.

"It's a bit aways," Hagrid said. "In London."

"London?" Harry asked. "Nina once told me that there are Glass Walkers in London, are we going to see them?" he asked.

"Perhaps, but we won't know will we?" Hagrid asked. Finally they emerged about a mile from a large school.

"That's Hogwarts, right?" Harry asked.

"Yep, the best school you can get into." Hagrid said. "And under the best Headmaster the schools ever seen, Albus Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore sounds kind of like a bee." Harry said.

"You still okay back there, Harry? We can rest a bit if you like." Hagrid said. Harry shook his head.

"I've walked more miles to a Grand Moot." he said. "And the Revelry is far more distance."

"If you say so." Hagrid said. When they got to the school, Hagrid opened the door for Harry, who walked through looking around at the building and wondering how they could make a structure this big out of wood.

"I suppose we'd better get you some more clothing, I figure you'd look pretty...strange in those pants." Hagrid said.

"Why would I look strange?" Harry asked. "It's traditional clothing of the Fianna tribe."

"Well, muggles, they wear _different _traditional clothing, I suppose." Hagrid said. "Just like wizards wear robes."

"Robes?" Harry asked. "What're those?" Hagrid got a pink umbrella out of his coat pocket and pointed to the ground, in a split second there was a pair of jeans and a dark green long sleeved shirt, along with a pair of black converse (and somewhere, a poor boy attending a baseball game suddenly lost his clothes).

"There, you'd better go to the toilets and put those on." Hagrid said.

"Toilets? They have the toilets inside?" he asked. Hagrid nodded.

"They're just down that way," he said, pointing with the umbrella. "Marked, Boys."

"Thanks." Harry said, running off in the direction Hagrid was pointing. After Harry had come back with the clothes on, itching and scratching at the pants and trying in vain to stretch out the shirt while lifting his feet awkwardly in the shoes, Hagrid led him to a large fireplace in a large room.

"Now here," Hagrid held out a bowl. "You just take a handful of this," he said, "and go into the fireplace, yell out 'Leaky Cauldron', then drop the powder. Remember to yell in a nice loud voice."

"You sure you don't want me to howl it? Yelling is never that clear." Harry said.

"No, I think yellin's okay." Hagrid said. Harry nodded and jumped into the fireplace (thinking, if Felan were there, he would chastise him for showing off) and yelled out, "LEAKY CAULDRON!" he dropped the powder and suddenly felt like he was spinning around millions of times in a split second while being pulled backwards. He reappeared in the fireplace of a pub, climbing out and feeling absolutely wretched.

"My word." the barkeep said. "Is it really you? Harry Potter?" Harry backed away a space.

"How do you know my name?" he asked, warily eyeing the man. The pub suddenly quieted and everyone turned to look at Harry. "What are you looking at?" he asked. Suddenly Hagrid appeared in the fireplace and climbed out.

"Hallo, Tom." he said, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Just getting little Harry his school supplies."

"So it really is him." Tom said. Suddenly Harry was bombarded with people reaching to shake his hand. _How did they get this many people to fit in a pub? _he idly wondered, while shaking the hand of an overenthusiastic warty witch.

"Well, we should be going now." Hagrid said.

"You're missing your glasses, Harry." someone pointed out. Harry turned around to see a tall witch with black hair and spotty skin.

"Dymphna?" he asked. She nodded. "You're so..."

"What? Tall? Pretty? Financially secure?" she asked.

"Old." Harry said.

"I'm twenty one!" she squealed.

"You know her, Harry?" Hagrid asked. Harry nodded.

"Of course, that's Dymphna. But I thought you weren't magic." Harry said.

"Yes, but just because I'm not magic doesn't mean I don't want a new cat. The ones here at Diagon Alley are the smartest." she said, holding up a cage with a shiny black cat in it.

"Well, come on, Harry. We'd better get going, we've got lots of shopping to do and little time." Hagrid said.

"Wait!" Dymphna said. "If you have time, Harry, stop by my flat." she pulled a business card out of her pocket and handed it to him.

"If I ever had doubts you were a Glass Walker..." Harry held up the card, "This is proof." he said. "Okay, I'm ready to go." he turned to Hagrid.

"Right then," Hagrid said, walking towards the back door of the pub. Harry turned around and waved at Dymphna, then followed. When he walked out of the back door, Hagrid was facing a brick wall and tapping the bricks. Harry began to think that he really was mad, when the bricks reformed and revealed a street with all kinds of stores.

"Welcome, Harry. To Diagon Alley." Harry gaped at all of the people, he was sure he'd never seen so many in his life. "Now, you'll want to get your money first." Hagrid said. "You still have your letter?" Harry held it up. "Keep up now," he said, moving forward into the crowd. Harry was sure that he wasn't going to loose Hagrid, with the tallness factor. They finally walked up the stairs to a fancy building.

"What's this?" Harry asked.

"Gringotts, the Wizarding Bank." Hagrid said.

"Oh, that's right. Capitalism and all." Harry said. Hagrid looked at him funny, then went walking up. Harry inwardly scolded himself, he'd been out in the world less than one day and he'd already forgotten the club code! "Hagrid, are we here to get money?"

"'Course, Harry. Unless you've got a secret stash of galleons stuck in those socks..." Hagrid shook his head, "unlikely." he said. "So we've got to get some from your account."

"I've got an account?" Harry asked.

"What, you don't think your parents would leave you with nothin'!" Truthfully, that was what Harry was beginning to think. They approached a counter where a small, wrinkly man that reminded Harry of a wizened old Uktena that had once died during a Revelry, leered at him. He hadn't been paying much attention to his surroundings, but now that he did, he saw that there were many, small, wizened Uketena men rushing around.

"Morning," Hagrid said. "We're here to withrdraw from Mr. Harry Potter's safe."

The little man looked at Harry, "And does Mr. Harry Potter have his key?"

"Hagrid? What key? Am I supposed to have a key? I don't have one." Harry said.

"Oh, no worries, I've got it." Hagrid said, digging in his pocket, at last he held up a small gold key. "Also, I've got a letter from Albus Dumbledore." he said in a hushed voice. "It's about the you-know-what in vault, you-know-which." The man nodded.

"Very well, I'll have someone take you to the vaults. Griphook!" Griphook was another, small wizened man. Harry wondered exactly how many of these men were there, and how come he'd never seen one before? He should have brought that large camera he'd seen on display, so he could take a picture of all of these small men and show it to his friends back home.

Hagrid and Harry followed Griphook to a narrow passageway lit with torches. It sloped steeply down, just like the mountain near the Grand Moot grounds; soon a small cart came hurtling up towards them, Harry jumped back but the cart stopped right in front of them.

"Everybody in!" Griphook yelled. Hagrid climbed in with some difficulty, and Harry climbed in after him as Griphook went in the front. "Hold your stomachs!" Griphook yelled, and they were off. They whizzed through a maze of twisting corners, the cart seemed to know it's way around because Griphook wasn't steering.

"Hagrid, what's making this cart go?" Harry asked, holding onto the sides.

"Magic, Harry." Hagrid said, in a voice that Harry clearly recalled Ford talking to him with just a week ago, that all too clearly said "I though we'd passed that page in the book already, Harry!". Harry leaned back and enjoyed the ride, as the cart hurtled through the passageways at unmarkable speeds. Finally it came to a jolting stop.

"Hagrid-"

"Don't ask me questions, right now, Harry. I think I'm gonna be sick." Hagrid said, holding his stomach. Harry couldn't see why, the cart ride was _fun._

The cart had stopped near a large doorway, and Griphook got out, turned to Hagrid. "Key, please." Hagrid, looking very green now, gave the small man the key. Griphook put the key in the lock and turned it, the vault door swung open and Harry's jaw dropped. There were mountains of gold coins, silver coins, and little bronze ones too. He grasped at his neck to grab ahold of his pendant, but it wasnt there. He looked under his shirt, through the headhole, in his pants pockets, and in his socks but it wasn't to be found.

"Hagrid, we have to go back to the caves." he said.

"Why, Harry? I thought you were going to stay here for a bit." Hagrid said.

"I've lost my necklace. And then of course I have to visit Dymphna because she practically commanded me to, and then when she double checks and I don't have the necklace. She'll _eviscerate _me." Harry said.

"That's a big word for such a small boy." Hagrid said.

"I learned it from Gio." Harry said. "He's a provider, he knows all sorts of words from the outside." he added.

"Well, we can't go back for your necklace now, and I'm sure this Dymphna won't exactly, as you so eloquently put it, eviscerate you, so you can stop worrying. I mean, you've got a pile of gold in front of you, Harry, I'd be happy if I was you." Hagrid said.

"You're right. I can bribe her out of flaying me like a deer." Harry said, entering the vault. "I'd better take plenty, and some for Felan and Fi too, they wanted me to bring something back." he said.

"Don't get too much that you can't walk, Harry." Hagrid said.

"Oh, don't worry, fur is much heavier than this." Harry said.

-------------------------------

After buying all of Harry's books and writing tools from a store called Flourish and Blotts, Harry headed over to get a fitted for robes at Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. He entered the shop alone, feeling very nervous. When Madame Malkin appeared, he jumped, the smiling witch..smiled at him.

"You here for Hogwarts? Yes, of course. We've got another young man here too." she said. Leading him to the back where Harry saw a boy with a pale pointed face, standing on a foot stole while a witch pinned up the robes around him. Harry was led to the stool and a large black robe was thrown over his head. He itched the pants uncomfortably, he had a feeling about this kid, a very bad feeling. Of course, that could be the smothering clothes he was wearing, but you never know...

"Hogwarts?" the boy asked. Harry nodded. "My father's buying my books, and my mother's looking for wands," he said in a bored drawl. Yes, a very bad feeling, and it definitely was not the pants. "Then I'm going to buy a racing broom, that's stupid that first years can't have their own. I think I'll smuggle on to school." The boy strongly reminded Harry of a very ('narky' said Felan, 'stupid' said Fi) prideful Silver Fang cliath that he'd met once. Now that boy, was very, very mad (inbreeding, said the gossip, "It's the raw cow they eat, I tell you!" said a 'vegetarian' wolf).

"Do you have your own broom?" the boy asked. Harry shook his head.

"I don't think I need one." Harry said, choosing to fight fire with fire. "But I'm sure I can get my..." he searched his head for a word that Fi had once used, "chaperone to buy one."

"You play Quidditch at all?" the boy asked. Harry didn't usually participate in the sports activities during the Grand Moots, only the occasional soccer, but he was sure he'd never heard of a game called Quidditch.

"No." Harry said.

"Father say's their mad if they don't let me on the house team. I must agree, know what house you're going to be in yet?" Harry shook his head.

"I'm going to be in Slytherin, with the rest of my family. If I get into Hufflepuff, I'm sure I'd leave." he said.

"Wow." Harry said, trying to sound interested, actually this boy was beginning to bore him a bit. He wished Hagrid would hurry up and get his business done.

"Why are you here with a chaperone, anyways?" the boy asked. "Why not your parents?"

"The Caolaidhe's are at home, they've got to take care of my brother." Harry said.

"The Caolaidhe's?" the boy asked. "No, I mean your real parents." he said.

"My _real _parents are dead." Harry said.

"Sorry, then." the boy said. "They were, _our _kind, right?" he asked as Madame Malkin shuffled into the next room.

"They weren't mudbloods if that's what you mean." Harry said, not noticing he'd let the word slip. He bit his lip afterwards, hoping the boy wouldn't be mad for him saying it.

"Good." the boy said. _Must not be such a bad word after all, _Harry thought. "I really don't think they should let the other kind in. I much prefered Durmstrang to go to, but my father insisted on Hogwarts."

"Ah.." Harry said. Know he actually knew something about the conversation.

"What's your surname anyways?" the boy asked.

"P-" Harry was cut off when Madame Malkin shoved the robes in his hands.

"There you go, my dear." she said. "All done." Harry nodded and pulled out five of the gold coins, he gave them to the witch and said something he'd heard Felan say many times, "Keep the change."

--------------------------------------------------

A/N: Yes, I can never do all of the things I say I'm going to. Next chapter, the rest of the stuff I said I was going to do THIS CHAPTER!!

COOKIES AND MILK TO MY REVIEWERS!

BUNYIP BABY OUT!!


	6. Being in London

Being in London

"Achoo!"

"Shush!" Felan said quietly.

"It's not my fault," Fi sniffed. "I've never been to this part of the forest before, and apparently it's making me sick." she said.

"We've got to get to wherever Harry is, and fast. We've already wasted a day!" Felan said. If a muggle were to come upon the two eleven(ish) year olds, they would think it strange that two such gangly children were walking through the woods with furs, rolled up and strapped to their back, and such primitive clothing. But the kids weren't about to worry about that.

"Over here." Fi said, pointing to the right. "His scent, it's over here." she said.

"Hey, look at this." Felan said, gesturing to a small creature with a red cap. "I've never seen one of these before." he said.

"What is it?" Fi asked.

"I think it's a-" Felan let out a sharp scream as the small creature stabbed him in the ankle with a bone knife.

"Felan!" Fi grabbed his hand and ran, as more little red-capped creatures followed them with malicious smiles. One creature jumped on Felan's shoulder, Felan sneered and grabbed him in his hand, crushing him and letting the crumbled parts fall.

"Hey, they're mushy." Felan said. "Small and strong, but mushy!"

"Just run, Felan." Fi said, "And don't smush any more of those things, they'll just get angry." The two kids ran to the edge of the forest where they saw a hut. Felan knocked on the door, then opened it and they ran in, shutting the door on the creatures.

"Well, what do we have here?" Felan asked.

"A house." Fi said.

"I see that," Felan said. "But who's house?" he asked. Fi climbed onto a stool and looked out of a high window.

"I think those little things are gone." she said.

"Yeah, can't hear 'em anymore. Let's find something to eat and leave." Felan said. Fi nodded and got off of the stool. She cocked her head, "Felan?" she asked.

"What?"

"Do you smell something? Alive?" she asked. Felan sniffed the air.

"Yeah, dog." he said. "And where there is dog," he sniffed the air and saw a dinner plate, "and no owner," he held up a bloody, raw piece of meat, "there is food." Fi squealed and ran to the plate.

"We'd better just take all of this." she said.

"Leave some for Cousin." Felan said. Fi nodded and took two pieces. "Can we still get Harry's scent?" he asked.

"Yep, he was near here recently." Fi said, rolling up the meat and taking a bite out of it. "Come on, we'd better get going." she said.

"Okay," Felan said. They peeked out of the door to see if any of the red-capped creatures were there, than started walking towards the scent.

---------------------------------------------

As a birthday present, Hagrid had bought Harry a snowy-colored owl. Then he arranged for Harry to have a room in the Leaky Cauldron for a week so he could get aquainted with the place and buy anything else he needed. Harry was currently in his room reading his History of Magic book, bored silly (he figured History of Magic was a very dull subject if all they talked about were goblin riots). He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out the business card Dymphna had handed to him.

It read:

_**Dymphna-Anne Sorensen  
Fostern, Psychic Extrodinare  
1338 Wicker Avenue, #234,  
London, England, **_

He looked at the address and decided to go look for her house, while he had time to kill anyways. He idly wondered what a psychic was, but didn't spend too much time on the subject as he loaded his pockets with galleons, put on one of the shirts he'd gotten at Madame Malkin (for the Hogwarts uniform) and set out to look for her house with the card. No one quite noticed him as he pushed his way through the pub, and came out on the Mudblood street.

"'Scuse me?" he tried asking an old woman.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Do you know where Wicker Avenue is?" he asked. She thought for a moment.

"Wicker Avenue, I do believe that is right a few blocks up there." she said. Harry thanked her and walked down the sidewalk looking for Wicker Avenue. He finally found a sign that pointed "1300 Wicker Avenue" and he followed it. Down this street there were a variety of different houses and flats, he finally found 1338 and walked into the flat complex looking for her number. He crossed 100s into the 200s and found 234 with almost no trouble. He knocked on the door.

"Wait a second!" came her voice. Dymphna answered the door dressed in a red shirt reading "Princess" and a pair of shorts on. "Harry!" she said. "Come on in, didn't expect you so soon!" she said. He walked into the flat, looking around at the different modern artwork that adorned her walls.

"So I suppose you really are financially secure then?" Harry asked. Dymphna nodded.

"Enough to get me through life, at least." she said. "Take a seat, I'll put some food on." she gestured to a large plushy couch. "So, why the sad face, Harry?" she asked.

"I'm not sad." he said. "Just dead bored."

"Same difference." she said, "You like steak raw or cooked?" she asked.

"I prefer raw, but cooked is fine too." Harry said. "So, you're a Fostern? How's that going for you?"

"Pretty good, I'm on my way to becoming a Theurge, and a damn good one at that. And my psychic thing is really taking off, all sorts of muggles coming in here for love spells and voodoo dolls." she looked up at Harry. "And if I'm not mistaken, you were wearing the exact same pants yesterday, am I right?" she asked. Harry nodded.

"These are the only muggle ones I have." he said. "But I changed the shirt."

"That's good, later I'll take you shopping. You're staying here, what three, four days?" she asked.

"A week." Harry said. "Hagrid said I needed to get aquainted with the wizarding world."

"Hm, I'm about to take you to the mall, would that mess up the whole aquainting thing?" she asked, bringing him out a barely cooked steak. "Try that." she said. Harry took the plate and picked up the steak, he bit into it.

"It's okay." Harry said.

"What, the mall or the steak?" Dymphna asked.

"Both." Harry said. "You have a car?" he asked.

"Seagreen, Toyota Camry, year 1992." Dymphna said. "I got a discount from my friend Camlyn's dad, he owns one of the places you know."

"Hm," Harry said.

"So, once you're finished, we're going off to get you some new clothes. It just seems wrong for you to have to wear those smelly jeans day after day." Dymphna said. "By the way, where's your necklace?" Harry choked on the meat.

--------------------------

A/N: And next chapter, all of the REST of the stuff I said I was going to do this chapter! Being in London part two next time!

PS: I'm not doing the next chapter until I get at least 15 reviews. Plus, I need a bit of a break. I've been cranking out a chapter a day and it HURTS!!!


	7. Being in London part two

Being in London Part Two

Soon, Felan and Fi found themselves pushing the doors to a big building open.

"Wow," was all Felan could said. Fi raised her eyebrows.

"It's huge!" she said. "Reminds me of my old house,"

"I thought you couldn't remember anything from before you came to us?" Felan said. Fi looked away.

"Hey! What's that!" she said. Felan, having short attention span, looked to where she was pointing.

"What?" he asked.

"That...erm...suit of armor, I don't think it was there before!" she said.

"I dunno about you, but I've had enough of little evil creatures to last a lifetime," he said. "And worse, that crazy red-capped thing broke the bone in my ankle!" he said, pointing to his ankle. Fi grimaced.

"Here, I'll bandage it," she said. Felan shook his head.

"Trust me, it's better if it isn't touched," he said.

"But it'll get infected!" Fi said.

"Yes, but that'll hurt less than you trying to get the bone out, butterfingers!" Felan yelled. Fi turned bright red.

"Take that back!" she yelled. Felan stuck out his tongue.

"Butterfingers, butterfingers!" he said, racing down the hallway. Fi dropped her pack on the floor and ran after him, she could distantly hear his laughter down the hall but couldn't see him after she turned the third corner.

"Felan!" she yelled. "Felan! Where are you? This isn't funny!" she looked to her right and saw the same suit of armor. "I swear those things follow you around," she muttered, walking down the corridor.

Felan ran down the corridors until he came to a place full of staircases. "Lucky, that!" he said. He grabbed ahold of the railing of one of the staircases and jumped up the catch the next railing, and so on, and so on until he was somewhere at the top, with an incredibly heavy pack on and sweating practically everything but blood. It was only then he actually wondered where Fi was. "She should have caught up by now," he said. Felan leaned over the rail to look when the staircase shuddered and started moving. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!"

Fi looked up to where she heard Felan yelling. "FELAN!" she yelled. The screaming continued and she ran to where she thought the screaming was. She emerged into a room full of stairs, one a while up was where Felan was standing, screaming his head off. "FELAN!" she yelled again. "FELAN, SHUT UP!" Fi said, trying to block the screaming from her ears. Felan looked down at her.

"HELP!" he yelled. Fi held a finger up, and started sprinting up the staircases, hoping one of them would lead to where Felan was. The staircase Felan was on finally stopped moving at a door, and he ran onto the platform with his bag.

"Why, hello there, may I ask what you are doing here during the summertime?" Felan looked up slowly to see a short, plump, wispy white figure floating a few inches above the ground.

"FIONAAAA!!!"

---------------------

"The necklace?" Harry asked, looking at Dymphna with wide eyes. "About that...you see..."

"You lost it?" she asked. "Don't worry about it, I wasn't really expecting you to keep it for, what is it...going on seven years now?" she asked. Harry nodded. "It's not like I'm going to gouge out your eyes for it or anything, it was a pretty piece of shine, that's all," she said. Harry sighed in reassurance. "I've got to go fix my hair, and when I say fix my hair, I mean put on my makeup," she said, getting up and walking to the hall. She poked her head out again. "Oh, and by the way, if an angry looking twenty-something year old gal walks through the door, ignore her cynical comments and tell her you're here for me!" she said. Harry nodded and returned to eating.

True to Dymphna's word, a tall girl with dark-red hair and bright blue eyes walked into the flat. She paused briefly and looked at Harry.

"Who're you?" she asked.

"I'm here for Dymphna," he said. The girl nodded.

"I'm Katerina, her roommate," she said, "sadly, the lonliest, most overworked, installer and factory worker of the female species, look upon me and pity me, for I work for Closet World," Katerina said, holding out her hand for Harry to shake. Harry shook her hand and looked up at her.

"I'm Harry, sadly the most uneducated boy you will likely meet in your life," he said, imitating her way of talking. Katerina chuckled.

"You're funny, I like you; and you've got pretty eyes too," she said. She turned and walked to the kitchen to get a snack. "So, how is it that you are the worlds most uneducated boy?" Katerina asked randomly.

"I haven't been properly taught since kindergarten," Harry said. "How is it that you are sadly the lonliest most overworked installer and factory worker of the female species?" he asked back. She grabbed a pint of ice cream from the refridgerator and turned to face Harry.

"I have a job, as you already know, as the Head Installer at Closet World, working there from 7 to 14, boxing, driving, installing, and driving back, then doing the whole thing over again; then at 14pm, I hightail it out of there and rush over here, thus I am here," she bowed gracefully, "I eat a pint of ice cream," she held up the pint of Ben and Jerry's, "and reminice of better times of when I had a boyfriend and a steady career as a hairstylist, then my boyfriend dumped me and the place I worked at closed down," Katerina walked over to the couch where Harry was sitting and sat next to him, dipping the spoon in the ice cream, she continued, "then at 14:24 I realize how late it's gotten and I rush into my room to take off my installing clothes and put on my professional wear, get in the car, run all redlights and break the speedlimit on my way to my job, I work at a big company as a receptionist, yet only get 5 pounds an hour; after I get off of that job, I rush through the drive-through, grab food and go to my night classes in which I am learning to become a nurse. When all that is done, I mosey home and do a great impression of a drunken idiot as I climb the stairs at 1 am, get four hours sleep. I get up at 5, drink three cups of coffee, take a cold shower, put on my eyemask, apply my barely noticable makeup, drink three more cups of coffee and a donut, and get ready to start the molasses slow process again!" she said, taking a bite of ice cream.

"Sounds horrible!" Harry said. Katerina shrugged.

"Not really, it's actually quite invigorating when you're seven minutes late to work and being chased by the neighbours rabid dog," she said. "And I always get Sunday to catch up on my sleep, so on Sundays you can find me taking a sleeping pill and snoring through my day," Katerina took another bite of ice cream and turned to him. "So, how's life been for you?" she asked.

"Fine," Harry said. "I just learned I'm to go to a school for things I don't even know about where I'll be surrounded by kids who know a lot more then me," he said.

"That's interesting," Katerina said. "TV?" she asked.

"I don't get to watch it much," Harry said, wondering idly if Hogwarts had television, he hadn't been able to look at television for a while.

"Oh, well I suppose nothing much is on right now, just the afternoon soap operas. I don't think you'd--"

"No, by all means!" Harry said, gesturing to the television. Katerina shrugged and grabbed the remote and pressed the on button. The television flickered on and Harry watched, suddenly entranced by the Ivonna/Mark/Kate love triangle which had been going on since the last time he'd seen "Serial Passions", six years ago.

--------------------------------------

"Finally!" Felan said. "I've been sitting here for a right hour, I have!" he said. "And I almost got attacked by a ghost monk!"

"You know it's only been ten minutes, and ghost monks don't exist, you little rabbit!" Fi said. "Now gimme your ankle!" Felan ran across the hall.

"No!" Fi ran over and grabbed him, trying to drag him back.

"Gimme your ankle!" she yelled. Felan broke loose and ran across again.

"No!" She walked back over to him and grabbed his arm.

"Gimme your ankle!" she said, pushing him to the ground.

"No!" Felan stood up and Fi tripped him so he was laying flat on his back. She sat on his chest and bent over his legs.

"Hm...not good at all, Felan," she said, ripping part of her skirt off. She found a shard of the bone in Felan's ankle and sharply tugged it out, revealing that the "small shard" was a much more, painful, larger shard. Felan screamed and thrashed around. "Stop it, Felan, or you'll never get this thing out!" Fi said, pushing down his leg again. She looked at the wound and bound it up with the strip of fabric from her skirt. "There now, all better," she said.

"About time!" Felan growled weakly, Fi got off of his chest and allowed him to stand up. "Hurts more than ever!"

"Yes, but at least you don't have a bone stuck in your foot!" Fi said.

"I wish I could find something that would make you scream!" Felan yelled, walking across the hall again. Suddenly a door appeared on the wall they were fighting by. "What's this?" Felan asked.

"I dunno, but it's pretty weird, a door appearing..." Fi said. "It gives me a bad feeling," she said.

"Well then, it must be good, let's go in!" Felan said, going over to his comrade and pulled her to the door. He turned the knob and looked inside, Fi peeked inside too.

Exactly two seconds later, a shrill, girly scream was heard throughout the building.

--------------------------------------

Dymphna opened the passenger seat door to her car and then walked over to the drivers seat and opened the door.

"Well, go on, Harry, get in!" she said. Harry awkwardly seated himself in the passenger seat and looked at the seatbelt, no idea what it was used for. "You put it on," Dymphna said, as if reading his mind, "like so," she demonstrated. Harry grasped the seatbelt awkwardly, his hands feeling too big for the belt, and clicked it in. "There, see? That wasn't so hard was it?" Dymphna asked. Harry shook his head. Dymphna started the car and drove away from the complex.

"So we're going to the stores?" Harry asked.

"If you're going to say it, say it fully: mall," Dymphna said. Harry nodded.

"Okay,"

"Then we have to head over to the grocery stores, hope you don't mind," Dymphna held up a few pieces of paper, "it's triple coupon day!" Harry distantly remembered his Aunt Petunia going starkers mad on triple coupon days.

"So we're just going to buy clothes and food?" he asked. Dymphna nodded.

"We're going to buy you new clothes, and new glasses!" she said.

"Glasses? But I don't need glasses anymore, Dymphna," Harry protested.

"But you're a hero, Harry. The people at Hogwarts will get very disappointed if their hero don't have glasses," Dymphna said.

"But, in stories heros are always about bravery, and loyalty and saving the damsel." Harry said.

"No, Harry, haven't you been reading between the lines? It's all about the nerdy charms and the glasses," she said, very narrowly missing a red light. Harry looked in the side mirror and decided glasses might be good for him, those cars seemed an awful way back. He looked back at Dymphna.

"So, why am I a hero again?" he asked.

"Because, you averted the apocalypse." Dymphna said simply.

"How?" Harry asked.

"You mean no one ever told you? You don't know?" Dymphna looked at him, then very narrowly missed hitting another car. "I'll tell you at the mall, people on the streets are crazy these days!" someone started honking at her and yelling obscenities, she honked right back and made a rude gesture with her hand out the window.

When they finally got to the mall, Harry (who had stuck his head out the window) had his hair flying in all different directions, not that it hadn't been that way before today, but it was much worse now.

"So, anywhere you want to go first?" Dymphna asked, walking a bit ahead of him.

"You're going to pay for me?" Harry asked.

"Yes, unless you've got some muggle money stashed in your socks," she raised her hands, "unlikely."

"Yes, very unlikely." Harry said. Dymphna led the way into a clothing store and Harry ended up being a packhorse for the bags that they came out with. Then they sat down to get an ice cream, which Harry had never tried before (he had a very messy time trying to eat it all before it melted, then he had a very bad brainfreeze). Dymphna then led the way over to a large department store where they bought more clothes (most for her) and fortunately for Harry, she had them sent over to the flat. After that, they went into yet another store, which Harry could not pronounce the name of, and Dymphna tried on numerous outfits and constantly asked Harry if her "hips looked wide in this one". Harry had a feeling that this shopping trip was more for her sake than his, but he tagged along anyways. Then they visited the man who's title Harry couldn't pronounce, where Harry got new glasses from the selection. When they finally visited the last store, Harry was very tired, and his hands ached from carrying so many bags around.

"Don't worry, pup, we're leaving this one in a few minutes." Dymphna said. "Just need to get you some shoes, then to the grocery store, you can stay in the car for that if you want to..." he nodded as the employee measured his feet with a cold metal contraption.

"Four and a half," the saleswoman said.

"Thank you," Dymphna said as the lady returned to the cashier. "So, six and a half it is, Harry. You're down this aisle, pick out the shoe that you want and bring it back to me. We need to make sure it's cheapish, hundred or lower, don't want to max out Daddy's credit card now do we?" she asked, pushing him into an aisle. Harry looked at the rows and rows of shoes, he wasn't sure what kind of shoes the kids at Hogwarts would have, so he picked out some nice leather-looking ones and tried them on. They fit very well, and were much better than the heavy clunky ones that he had on now. He put the shoes neatly back into the box and ran over to the aisle where Dymphna was looking at shoes with high, skinny heels.

"These," he said giving her the box. She looked down at the shoes.

"Hm, Nike, nice choice. Basketball shoes you know. This is it?" she pointed to the aisle, "Go get two more pairs!" Harry nodded and ran back. He picked out a pair of black shoes and a pair of brown shoes, then went back to Dymphna. She nodded at his choices, picked out two pairs of high-heels, paid for the purchases, then they left.

While Dymphna was in the grocery store, Harry picked up a book she had bought called "Bridget Jones' Diary" and started reading, raising his eyebrows at some of the things and sounding out some of the harder words. Dymphna came back with even more bags to load in the car, got in the drivers seat and grabbed the book from Harry.

"Not a childrens book," she said.

"Dymphna, what's f-"

"Don't ask me and don't say it," Dymphna said, cutting him off. He nodded and she started the car. She dropped him off at the Leaky Cauldron, his arms full of bags and boxes and drove off down the street to her own home. Harry walked into the Leaky Cauldron and shuffled up to his room quickly, people staring at him left and right. When he got up to his room, he put the bags down and jumped onto the bed, his feet, fingers and arms aching. He rolled off of the bed and looked at his bags, one bag in particular was filled with sweets from The Sweet Factory. Harry grabbed a few Mars Bars and got back into bed. He could put the clothes away later.

---------------------------------------

"Oh come on, you've got to stop screaming some time!" Felan complained. "You've got to breath!" but Fi kept on screaming. Felan pushed her away from the door and slammed it closed. "Fi, it's just a few dolls!" he said. Fi stopped screaming.

"No it's not! It's a room full of them! They're contagious, Felan, they're contagious!" she babbled.

"So this is the thing that makes Fi Faoiltiarna scream in terror, a bit porcelain, paint and fabric?" Felan asked. "What a bint," he muttered.

"Take that back!" she yelled.

"Here we go again..." Felan muttered when suddenly someone shouted at them.

"What're you doing here?!" they turned around and saw a scraggly looking man with dirty clothes on.

"Maybe it's another ghost monk!" Felan whispered.

"You're crazy, monks don't look like that!" Fi said. "It's the...the...the humbug man, humbug, Scrooge!" she said.

"Humbug man? Scrooge?" Felan asked.

"Ghosts of present, past and future, I'll explain it all later!" Fi said, grabbing Felan's hand and running in the opposite direction of the "humbug man". They ran until they were out of breath, and soon found themselves facing a large gargoyle. The gargoyle hopped out of the way and revealed a staircase.

"Well, if it insists..." Felan muttered, standing on the bottom step. The stairs started moving upwards in circles. "Come on, Fi! Get on!" Felan said. Fi's eyes darted around fearfully before she jumped on the bottom step, she ran up the steps to the step Felan was standing on as they rose higher and higher. Finally they stopped in front of a door with a griffin knocker.

"So, who's doing the honors?" Fi asked.

"I'm sure there's a very mature way we can see..." Felan said. "NOT IT!" he yelled quickly, before Fi could say it. Fi sneered and knocked on the door. The door opened and they walked into a circular room. Several silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with moving pictures of women and men, there was also a large claw-footed desk and sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby pointed hat.

"What's that for?" Fi asked. Felan walked over to one of the silver instruments and picked it up, it poked him repeatedly with a needle sharp point until he put it down, his arm bleeding from several small dots. Fi looked at the portrait of a very prim looking woman who sneered down at her.

"What are you here for?" the portrait asked. Felan jumped at the voice.

"Don't worry, it's a painting, it can't hurt us," Fi said. Felan looked at the hat and picked it up gently, then shoved it on his head.

My, my, a little instigator are we?

"AAH!" he quickly took the hat off and dropp kicked it, rather unceremoniously, on the floor.

"It's no use, the Sorting Hat doesn't feel pain," a voice said from the doorway. Both cubs turned around to see an old man with a long silvery beard and half moon spectacles smiling at them.

"Wh-wh-who are you?" Felan asked, picking up the hat by the tip of its point and placing it on the desk. Fi dropped silver instrument she was toying with and it scuttled away.

"Friends of Harry Potters, I suppose?" the man said. "Yes, yes, of course you are. No other children would dare be in those woods without supervision," his eyes twinkled. "And I see you've seen the rather down aspects of being on an unsupervised trip through the Forbidden Forest," he said, looking at Felan's ankle.

"Forbidden Forest?" Fi asked. "But we were in the Black Forest,"

"Yes, I believe that is what your tribe calls it," the man said. The man walked over to his desk and sat down.

"What's your name?" Fi asked.

"I am Professor Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," the man said.

"Thought so," Felan said.

"What are your names?" Professor Dumbledore asked.

"I'm Felan Caolaidhe, this is Fiona Faoiltiarna, we're cubs of the Fianna tribe," he said.

"Harry's our friend," Fi added.

"He knows that," Felan said, rolling his eyes.

"He may have forgotten, you never know what goes on in someone's head!" Fi said. Felan sneered at her, and Fi pulled down her bottom eyelid and stuck out her tongue.

"You've got a freckle on your eye," Felan said. "Did you know that?"

"Don't push it, Rabbit-boy," Fi said. Suddenly something squawked from the corner. Both kids jumped and turned around to see a large, beautiful bird.

"What is that?" Felan asked.

"Fawkes, is a phoenix," Professor Dumbledore said. Fi and Felan both jumped at his voice.

"Sorry, kind of forgot you were there," Fi said, sounding guilty.

"It's all right, I've gotten that many times," Professor Dumbledore said, chuckling to himself.

"You're a very strange man, you know that?" Felan asked. "I suspect you're a bit mad, too," he said.

"Felan!" Fi growled.

"What? I'm just speaking my mind!" Felan said.

"No, it's quite all right, I've also been called mad many, many times." Dumbledore said.

"Well good, or...bad..or...whatever it is to you, then," Felan said. Dumbledore laughed again.

"You two, you've grown up together, haven't you?" he asked.

"Seven years," Felan said glaring at Fi. Fi stuck out her tongue at him.

"Yes, yes, it's quite obvious with how you act," Dumbledore said. "So, you wish to give something to Harry?" he asked. Fi nodded and looked in the pouch hanging from her belt, she drew the long thin chain with the pendant on it and put it on Dumbledore's desk. "Hm, and where would he have gotten this?" Dumbledore asked.

"His Glass Walker friend gave it to him, when he first came here," Fi said, "or so he says," Dumbledore picked up the necklace.

"He's always been the lucky one, best in school, best in fighting, he's probably going to be Alpha male when he grows up too. Odyn told mum that he's got great leadership qualities," Felan said. "And now he gets to go to the magic school, it's no fair and we won't get to see him anymore!" he complained.

"I believe you will be able to see Harry quite frequently here," Dumbledore said.

"You can arrange that?" Fi asked.

"Wait, you do know that Harry's a werewolf, right?" Felan asked. Dumbledore nodded.

"Yes, yes, and it will be taken care of when the time comes." Dumbledore said.

"Can't he be in Moots with us? Just on full moons?" Fi asked.

"I'm afraid that there will be no way for Harry to return if he participates in such activities with your tribe," Dumbledore said.

"We can bring him back! Or he can come back by magic!" Felan said.

"I'm not sure that would be very appropriate," Dumbledore said. "But, we can figure out a way to get you two to come and see Harry, every so often," he said.

"That would be great!" Felan said. "When?"

"And how's Harry going to hide that he's a Garou?" Fi asked.

"I'm sure I can find a way to contact you two when you can visit Harry, and I'll be telling Harry myself about how he's going to hide his predicament,"

"So..." Fi started. "Is there anything else we haven't covered?"

"How come the portraits move? And there're ghost monks here? And the staircases move?" Felan asked. Dumbledore smiled.

"The Fat Friar did inform me that there were a couple of uninformed youngsters in the school," he said. "As you know, this is a school of magic, and many people have suggested that perhaps the school is a living being, so sometimes you will come upon a door that locks itself, or a staircase moving, a vanishing step."

"The ghosts?" Fi asked.

"The ghosts," Dumbledore started, "there are many of them here, some represent a house, and some just want a place to stay," he said. "And wizarding portraits and paintings, mostly always move. Currently most of the portraits are welcoming our newest edition, in the hallway by the Great Hall." he said.

"This is a very interesting place," Felan said. "But, I think I'd like to go home now, just in case my parents worry." he said.

"Surely, surely," Dumbledore said. He took out his wand and muttered a few choice words, the two cubs seemed to disappear right into thin air. They materialized a few yards away from the cave.

"I think he forgot my name, did you hear him?" Felan asked, looking at Fi.

"I think he is quite mad, he called you 'Shirley',"

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**_A/N: And the next chapter, Being at Hogwarts, Harry gets on the train, Harry meets Ron, Hermione and Malfoy...blah blah blah. Yes, but no 'nother chapter until 30 reviews (Nori: she has gone completely crazy on reviews, really drunk on the power)!! Buahahha! Yeah, but I may end up writing the next chapter anyhoo, 'cus I'm eccentric!_**

**_PS: (you know there's gotta be one of these every chapter) if anyone has any thing that might help me with the fic, please email me, and also, I need a beta reader. Just in case, you know? _**

**_PSS: (new addition) If anyone wants to be in the fic (I need supporting characters!), soley from the tribes (I'm thinking on doing a Great Moot, with all of the werewolf tribes in a few chapters, maybe, big maybe) then review it or email me. _**

**_PSSS: The freckle Fi has on her eye will play a big part at the end of the fic. (go and reread this chapter if you don't remember the freckle)_**

**_Freckle: Yay!_**

**_COOKIES AND MILK TO ALL REVIEWERS!!_**

**_(Also, Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear, the mirror is built to make the cars look faraway, but Harry thinks it's his eyesight)_**


	8. Being in Hogwarts

Being in Hogwarts

Harry spent a few more days at the Leaky Cauldron; he visited Dymphna a majority of the time, bonded with Katerina about their woes in life, learned to make pancakes, and had a fight with one of Dymphna and Katerina's more frivalous friends about where Mark's heart truely belonged (on Serial Passions). Sometimes, Dymphna would take him shopping in Diagon Alley, once again, more shopping for her than for him. When Hagrid came back to pick him up, Harry was very, very addicted to Serial Passions, and Orange smoothies (better than they sounded). He also had an all new luggage set and several new pairs of glasses (one for every occasion).

Then came the next few weeks with the tribe.

Odyn had all of the warriors sent out to bring back the very best food for the feast on the last day (Felan left with the warriors for education purposes, Fi had to be restrained as he made faces at her, leaving). Harry was bombarded with gifts, some he liked, some he didn't, and had to promise Marlaina Foley (the red-headed tart who fancied him, according to Fi) that he would come back during Christmas break. Of course, no one here knew what Christmas break was, so he just had to promise he'd be back soon. Harry did everything he could to stop Odyn from calling a Grand Moot, and luckily it worked. But that couldn't stop Odyn from calling a tribal moot (much to Fi's glee); everyone drank themselves into a stupor and ran it off (number of deaths: three, but several people had fights and were badly injured, others were stranded far from camp). When it was finally time for Harry to go with Lynn (who was heading out to negotiate with the Glasswalkers about a few new cliaths), he was hugged from left and right by all of his friends. Ford, then Bryon, and Trey, then Dee, Marlaina, Charlotte, Charles, Dot (then he lost count) and then finally, Fi and Felan.

"Have a nice year, Harry," Fi said, giving him a hug. Felan hugged Harry after her and wished him good luck, then murmured in Harry's ear that Fi was afraid of dolls. Harry noted this for later use. Harry said his goodbyes and walked off with Lynn, a while away to her car (which was parked on the edge of the forest, where a national park was). Harry dragged his trunk with him, and held his owl in the other hand.

Two hours later, Harry looked at his new Rolex watch, as the old Ford Anglia drove up to the station and saw that it was 10:40. He thanked Lynn and she wished him luck, he nodded and got out of the car. Getting his owl and trunk out, he took the ticket out of his pocket and really looked at it for the first time.

"Platform nine and three quarters?" he mumbled, looking at the station. He decided to go up and see anyways, even though he was sure there was no Platform nine and three quarters. Sure enough, when he got to the platforms, the plastic signs said "9" and "10", there was nothing in between. He went and asked one of the guards about the train leaving at eleven, the guard said there wasn't one, he asked about the platform, the guard got mad and waved him away. Harry stood back and looked at the nothingness between the platforms, hoping a door would materialize there, an archway...something! Anything!

"-packed with muggles of course!" Harry turned around to see a small, plump woman talking to four boys and a girl, the boys were pushing carts similar to his, one had an owl. He pushed his cart after them, watching as they talked amongst themselves. The woman turned to the eldest boy and said something. The boy nodded and started running at the barrier between the platforms, then he disappeared. Two more boys followed him. Harry blinked, took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, everything seemed fine. He decidedly pushed his cart up to the woman.

"Miss?" he asked. "Miss?" the woman looked at him. "H-how do you get-"

"Onto the platform?" the lady asked. She nodded, "No worries. It's Ron's first time going to Hogwarts too. Now what you do, is," she looked at the barrier, "you walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten, best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous," she said.

"Good luck!" piped up the little girl. Harry recalled what Felan would say if he'd heard the womans instructions,

"She's raving mad!" but, being mad seemed to be a trend in the Wizarding world. So Harry ran at the wall. He clenched up, preparing for the crash, but when there was none, he opened his eyes and saw a scarlet steam engine waiting next to a platform packed with people. The sign overhead said "Hogwarts Express 11 'o' clock". Harry discovered that he should have come earlier, most of the carriages were already full of people. He finally managed to find an empty compartment. He put his owl (whom he named Hedwig) in first, then looked at his trunk, wondering how in the world he was going to get it in. Already the trunk was easily double the weight of Harry himself, thanks to "Rabbit-boy" and Fi packing it to capacity, and sitting on it to get it to close.

"Want a hand with that?" it was one of the red-haired twins he'd seen go through the barrier. Harry remembered Fi telling him something about red hair being unlucky (probably why she hated Marlaina so much, he'd never really found her all that bad), but he decided to take the twins help.

"Sure," Harry said.

"Fred! C'mere and help!" With the twins help, Harry's trunk was at last packed into the compartment.

"Thanks," Harry said, wiping the hair out of his eyes.

"Hey, what's that?" one of the twins asked, pointing to the lightening scar on Harry's forehead.

"What's what?" Harry asked. "Oh, this?" he asked, also pointing to the scar.

"Are you--"

"He is," said the first one.

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Harry Potter?" chorused the twins. Harry nodded, then remembered that Dymphna never exactly _told _him about that whole hero thing, like she promised. He'd have to write a very angry letter to her when he got to the school.

"Fred? George? Are you there?" someone asked.

"Coming, mom," the twins hopped off the train. Harry sat next to the window where he could watch the red-haired family. The mother wiped off the youngest son's nose as he tried to wriggle away, and the twins teased him. They talked for a few more moments, then Harry heard the word "lightening" and subconciously touched his scar. No one in his tribe really brought it up, or looked at him strange because of the scar, probably because they had better things to do. But then again, he'd once heard Fi telling Felan that Dee Philips liked him because of the scar. Suddenly, a whistle sounded. The mother practically pushed the three boys on the train and they leaned out the window for her to kiss them good-bye as the sister began to cry. When the train started moving, the sister ran along, trying to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed. The sliding door opened and the youngest boy came in.

"Can I sit here? Everywhere else is full," he said. Harry nodded and saw the boy glance at the scar. He was quickly getting annoyed by this scar business, at least Dee had some tact when she looked at the scar. "Are you really Harry Potter?" the boy blurted out .

"Yeah," Harry said.

"I thought it was one of Fred and George's jokes," he said. "I'm Ron Weasley,"

"Hi," Harry said.

"So, do you really have...the you know?" Ron asked, pointing at Harry's forehead. Yes, the pointing was beginning to get very old too. Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightening scar. Ron stared.

"So that's where You-Know-Who...?"

"I guess," Harry said. "I can't remember anything about it at all," Ron muttered a "wow" and stared at Harry for a few minutes. Harry decided on a new topic.

"Your whole family, they're wizards right?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so. I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him." Harry nodded. "I heard you're living with muggles, what are they like?" Ron asked.

"The Dursleys?" Harry asked, looking out the window. "Didn't stay long enough to find out," he said.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"I live with friends," was Harry's answer. Dymphna had told him not to tell anyone about his "status", she said they wouldn't be too accepting.

"Who?" Ron asked.

"The Caolaidhe's," Harry said, hoping Felan's family weren't renowned werewolves or anything; well, it would be great if they were, but bad if they were...it was confusing. "So, you got a pet then?" he asked. Ron nodded and pulled a rat from his pocket.

"It's Percy's old one. I wanted an owl but they couldn't aff-- I mean, his name's Scabbers, I got him instead." Ron shoved the fat, grey rat back into his pocket. For some reason, the minute Ron took the rat out, Harry got a peculiar feeling. Once again, it could have been the pants (he thanked Gaia that Dymphna didn't insist on the leather ones), but he had a feeling it wasn't the pants.

Around half past twelve, a smiling woman opened the sliding door. "Anything off the cart, dears?" Ron muttered something about sandwiches, but Harry went out into the corridor. Sure, Dymphna had given him a months worth of Mars Bars, but chocolate was now a food staple for Harry. But the woman didn't have Mars Bars, instead there were Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Droobles Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and several other strange candies. Harry brought a few of it all and paid the woman three galleons, muttering, "Keep the change,". He brought the food back in and dropped it all on an empty seat.

"Hungry?" Ron asked. Harry nodded, taking a bite of a pumpkin pasty. Ron took out a lumpy package and unwrapped it, there were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them out and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef," Harry threw a pumpkin pasty at Ron.

"Trade you," he said.

"No really, the sandwich is all dry and--"

"Trade," Harry said, in a voice that Fi usually used when she told him to stop dancing. Ron nodded and took a bite of the pumpkin pasty. It was nice, sitting there surrounded by candies and other sugary things (Harry had never tasted anything sugary, Pre-frequent shopping trips). Harry opened one of the Chocolate Frogs, expecting a real frog, but it wasn't-- well, real anyways, but chocolate. The frog jumped out of the box and Harry grabbed it, wrestling it into his mouth, he heard Ron.

"What card have you got?" Ron asked. Harry bit one of the frogs legs off and held the frog by the other, looking at the card.

"I've got Dumbledore," he said.

"Oh, I've got about six of him." Ron said. Harry finally saw what Dumbledore looked like, he wore half-moon glasses, had a long crooked nose, and flowing silver beard and mustache. Harry read the short description on the back of the card while Ron opened another chocolate frog package, apparently looking for Agrippa or Ptolemy. Harry turned the card over again to see Dumbledore was gone.

"Where'd he go?" he asked.

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron. "Don't worry, he'll be back," Ron threw Harry a card and Harry saw that it was Morgana. "You can have that one," Harry took a look at the picture, then set it down next to Dumbledore's card.

After a while, the countryside that had been flying past the window, became woods, twisting rivers and green hills.

"I tried to turn Scabbers yellow yesterday, make him more interesting. It didn't work, but here, I'll show you," Ron looked in his trunk and finally brought out a battered looking wand. Ron had just raised his wand when the door opened, a girl with bushy hair, already wearing her Hogwarts robes, was in the doorway.

"Have you seen a toad? Neville's lost one?" she had a bossy sort of voice, and rather big front teeth.

"Haven't seen it, why? You going to eat it?" Harry asked. Ron turned bright red, turned and looked at the window.

"Heavens no! It's his pet!" the girl said.

"Why not eat it?" Harry asked. "I know for sure that toads are a bit harder to get ahold of than frogs, of course they're awful greasy but--"

"That's horrible!" the girl said. "Who are you?" she asked. Ron looked at Harry with a frightened look, and began shaking his head no.

"Harry Potter," Harry said.

"Harry Potter? You can't be! The Harry Potter I've read about wouldn't be so...so---"

"You've read about me?" Harry asked.

"If you're Harry Potter, than show me your scar!" the girl said. Harry pushed up his bangs, but she still had that 'that's not true' face on. She walked over to Harry and began trying to wipe the scar off.

"Hey! HEY!" Harry swiped her hand away. "Get away from me you anal little--"

"At least I'm not the one eating poor forest animals!" the girl yelled. "Harry Potter, yeah right!" she said, snorting as she left. Harry wanted greatly to use one of the words he'd read in "Bridget Jones' Diary", but decided not to.

"Crazy bint," Harry said. Ron looked at him.

"You really eat toads?" he asked.

"Only once, and that was during a Moot, not the best things in the world but frogs are awful dry, and leave you with a nasty taste in your mouth."

"I have this strange urge to say that's wicked, but I'm not entirely sure it _is _wicked." Ron said.

"I know, next time I'm choosing the fish," Harry said, closing the door. Ron shrugged.

"So, you want to see the spell or not?" he asked. Harry nodded and Ron dragged the rat out of his pocket.

"Very much," Ron cleared his throat.

"_Sunshine Daisies, butter mellow,_

Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."

Nothing happened.

"You sure that's a real spell?" Harry asked, taking off the glasses and looking at the rat. Ron shrugged.

"Fred and George said it was, but it could be just a joke," Ron said. "So, what house do you think you're going to be in?" he asked.

"House?" Harry asked. "Which ones are there?"

"Well, there's Gryffindor, all my family's been in there, so I'm gonna be in there too, probably. Then there's Hufflepuff, which, according to Fred and George, is filled to capacity with softies; then there's Ravenclaw, which is where all of the smart people go, don't suppose it would be that bad. Lastly there's Slytherin, the house that You-Know-Who was in," Harry made a mental note to ask Dymphna in the angry letter, exactly who this You-Know-Who bloke was. Then the sliding door opened again, but it wasn't the 'crazy bint' again, it was the pale boy Harry had met in Diagon Alley and two, thickset boys that looked slightly inbred to Harry.

"Is it true?" he asked. "Everyone's saying that Harry Potter's in this compartment, so it's you?" he asked, looking at Harry. Harry nodded. "Oh, this is Crabbe, and this is Goyle," said the pale boy, "And my name's Draco Malfoy," Ron giggled, then coughed to hide it. "You think my name's funny? No need to ask who you are, red hair, freckles and hand-me-down everything, you're a Weasley." he drawled. He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are much better than others, you don't want to go mixing with the wrong sort, I can help you there." He held out his hand for Harry to shake. Harry raised his eyebrows.

"As much as I'd like to," Harry started, "I'm pretty sure I can tell the right from wrong on my own," he said coolly. Draco Malfoy looked as if he were about to have a fit, but regained his composure.

"I'd be careful if I was you, Potter." he said.

"Good thing you're not then," Harry said.

"You should be a bit politer, otherwise you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, and you don't either. You mix with trash like the Weasleys and it'll rub off on you, people'll start avoiding you like you were a _werewolf._" Both Harry and Ron stood up at that.

"Say that to my face," Harry said, he had the urge to add "during a full moon" but didn't.

"You're going to fight us?" Malfoy asked, looking as though he might laugh.

"Get out," Ron said through gritted teeth.

"I don't think we feel like leaving, do we boys? You seem to have some more food, and we're still hungry," Goyle reached towards the chocolate frogs, but before Ron could leap forward, Goyle let out a horrible yell. Scabbers was latched onto Goyle's hand with his sharp teeth, Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung the rat round and round, yelling, it finally unlatched itself and flew off and hit the window. When Harry and Ron looked back at the door, Malfoy and his croonies were gone. A second later, the girl came back in.

"What's going on here?" she asked, looking at all the sweets and the half-dead rat.

"I think he's just been knocked out," Ron said, picking up Scabbers by the tail. "Nope, just sleeping," He turned to the girl. "You got a problem or something?"

"No," she said, rather snobbily. "You'd better put your robes on, conductor says we're nearly at Hogwarts," she said.

"Mind leaving us to change?" Ron asked, scowling.

"You've got dirt on your nose, did you know?" she asked. "Right there," Ron glared as she left and Harry looked out the window, it was already getting dark, and he could see the National park where Lynn had parked her car coming up. Harry and Ron took off their jackets and pulled the long black robes on as a voice echoed through the train, informing them that Hogwarts was coming up in a few minutes. Harry looked back out the window and saw a small girl in a tan dress waving at the train happily.

"Dot," he whispered. The girl, Dot, started running with the train, going almost as fast as the train itself until another girl reached out from the woods and grabbed her; her sister, Dorothy. Harry could almost hear her words, "Dot, you shouldn't do that! It might run you over!"

"Did you say something, Harry?" Ron asked. Harry turned to look at Ron, then shook his head. Harry suddenly felt more nervous than ever, as he and Ron crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd in the corridor. When the train stopped, people pushed their way out of the doors and onto the tiny platform.

"Firs' years! Firs' years! Over here! All right there, Harry?" came a familiar voice. Harry looked up and saw Hagrid's hairy face beaming over the sea of heads. Hagrid led them in a narrow path down to the edge of a great lake, and beyond the lake was a castle with many turrets and towers. Everyone started chattering almost immediately, as they started getting into boats ("No more'n four to a boat!). Harry and Ron were followed by the girl, and a boy that Harry presumed to be Neville. The little fleet of boats moved off all at once, and glided across the lake. The chatter had stopped and everything was dead silent as the castle towered over them on the cliff where it stood. When the boats stopped, the first years clambered out onto rocks and pebbles, which soon changed into smooth grass. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around a the huge front door. Hagrid raised a giant fist and knocked.

The door swung open, and a tall, black-haired witch in green robes was standing there. Her stern face made Harry think Black Fury almost immediately.

"Thank you, Hagrid, I'll take it from here." she said.

"Sure thing, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said. The entrance hall was so big, you could have fit a load of Bone Gnawers in there and still have room. It was all lit up by torches, and the cieling was so high up, Harry almost couldn't see it. The children walked up a marble staircase and across a flagged stone floor. They could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from behind a doorway, the rest of the school. Professor McGonagall started talking about the start of term banquet and the sorting, Harry felt himself go to sleep as she went on about the points and the houses and the house cup. He could just ask someone later, right?When McGonagall left, Harry turned to Ron. "How do they sort us?" he asked.

"I dunno, Fred said it hurt a lot, but he was probably joking." Ron said.

"He seems to do that a lot," Harry said as Professor McGonagall came out of the other room.

"They are ready for you now," she said. The doors opened and she led the students into the Great Hall. It was lite by thousands of floating candles over four long tables, where the other students were sitting. The tables were laid with golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall, the teachers were sitting at another long table. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so they were in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. Scattered around the students, ghosts shone misty silver. Harry looked up and saw a black cieling dotted with stars, it was hard to believe there was a cieling there at all, and not just the sky. Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years, and on top of the stool, she put a frayed old, pointed wizards hat. For a few seconds, there was silence, then the hat twitched. A rip opened up wide like a mouth and the hat began to sing.

Oh you may not think I'm pretty,   
But don't judge on what you see,   
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me,   
You can keep your bowlers black,   
Your top hats sleek and tall,   
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat,  
And I can cap them all.   
There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you,   
Where you ought to be.   
You might belong in Gryffindor,   
Where dwell the brave at heart,   
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry   
Set Gryffindors apart;   
You might belong in Hufflepuff,   
Where they are just and loyal,   
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
If you've a ready mind,   
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;  
Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folk use any means  
To achieve their ends.   
So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!

Everyone burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It seemed to bow to the tables, then became quite still as Professor McGonagall called the first student. Harry learned that the girl whom they had met on the train's name was Hermione Granger, she went into Gryffindor, as did her friend Neville (Longbottom). When Malfoy's name was called, the hat barely touched his head when it screamed "SLYTHERIN!". He went to go join his friends looking smug. Harry watched as they went through the entire alphabet, until...

"Potter, Harry!"

Harry stepped forward and heard everyone start whispering and muttering under their breath. The hat dropped over his eyes, and he waited.

"Hm...difficult, very difficult..Plenty of courage I see. Not a bad mind, somewhat smart..." a little voice in his mind said.

Somewhat? Harry thought. _I'm _extremely _smart._

"Yes, yes, I see.." the small voice said. "Fast, strong, capable, and very talented... And there's a thirst, to prove yourself, but where to put you?"

Anywhere's fine, just not Slytherin. Harry thought.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" the small voice asked.

Not Slytherin, not Slytherin, Harry thought.

"Slytherin you say?" the voice asked.

NOT Slytherin! Harry thought frantically.

"What's this?" the small voice said. "Old friends?"

Don't go there, Hat. Harry thought.

"Yes, yes, definitely better be GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted the last word to the whole hall. Harry took off the hat and walked over to Gryffindor table, he sat down at the table while the twins yelled "WE GOT POTTER! WE GOT POTTER!" Hagrid, at the head table, caught Harry's eye and gave him the thumbs up sign, one of the teachers looked very peculiar in a purple turban. By the time Ron's turn came up, he was looking a pale sort of green. A second later, the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" and Harry clapped loudly as Ron planted himself in the chair next to him. After Dumbledore said a few words (Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!) food appeared on the dishes. Harry had never seen so much cooked food! He piled his plate with potatoes (which he hadn't eaten in a while), roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops and began eating. He'd never really been one for raw meat, so this was a treat to him.

Suddenly a ghosts head appeared in a bowl of corn.

"Hello!" Lavender Brown, who was spooning the corn onto her plate jumped. The ghost came out of the corn and seemed to brush himself off.

"I know who you are!" Ron said, pointing to the ghost with a chicken leg in his hand. "You're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I prefer Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington," Nearly Headless Nick said.

"_Nearly _Headless? How can you be _nearly _headless?" Sir Nicholas looked miffed.

"Like this," he said, pulling his left ear. His whole head swung off and fell onto his shoulder. Many students jumped but Harry didn't flinch, year after year of seeing the Red Talons come to Grand Moots with human intestines wrapped around them did that to you. Nearly Headless Nick swung his head back on and began to talk about the house cup. When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the desserts appeared. Ice cream, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs, jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jelly, rice pudding... Harry managed to stuff a few treacle tarts in as he listened to the others talk about their families.

Harry looked up towards the High Table again, where Hagrid was drinking from his goblet, Professor McGonagall was talking to Dumbledore, and the professor in the purple turbin was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, pale skin and a hooked nose. The greasy-haired teacher looked the other teacher and straight at Harry and suddenly a sharp, hot pain went across the scar on Harry's forehead. Harry bit his lip, resisting the urge to slap a hand to his forehead.

"What is it?" Percy asked, watching as Harry turned all new and never before discovered shades of red.

"Nothing," Harry said as the pain left. "Who's that teacher with the, the.." he mimicked the teacher's hooked nose.

"Oh, that's Professor Snape, he's been after Quirell, the dark arts teacher's job for years. Knows a lot about the dark arts, Snape," Percy said. Snape didn't look at Harry again. When the desserts disappeared, the hall quieted as Dumbledore explained about how the Forbidden Forest was indeed, Forbidden; and the third floor corridor was now also, forbidden, to all those that wanted to live a long healthy life.

"And now, before bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. He gave his wand a little flick, as if trying to get a bug off, and a long gold ribbon flew out of it, rose above the tables and twisted itself into words. "Pick your favorite tune, and off we go!"   
  
Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,  
Teach us something please,   
Whether we be old and bald  
Or young with scabby knees,  
Our heads could do with filling  
With some interesting stuff,  
For now they're bare and full of air,  
Dead flies and bits of fluff,   
So teach us things worth knowing,   
Bring back what we've forgot,  
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,   
And learn until our brains all rot.

Harry chose a tune he'd heard Fi and Felan practice on their instruments (drums and flute respectively)-- Harry'd never been good at any particular instrument--. Everyone finished at different times. The last people singing were the Weasley twins, to a very slow funeral march.

"And now, off to bed!" Dumbledore said. The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the crowds and out of the Great Hall, then up the marble staircase. Harry was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits whispered and pointed at the first years, he led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries, then more staircases. After a while, they came to a sudden stop. At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a fat woman in a pink dress.

"Password?" she asked.

"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung open to reveal a hole in the wall. They scrambled through it and found themselves in Gryffindor common room. Harry distantly heard Percy tell them which door to go through, then followed Ron up to the dormitory. Too tired to talk, the boys pulled on their pajamas and went to bed.

------------

****

A/N: before anyone says it, I ripped off JK Rowling, Goddess of all that is Potterverse, with this chapter. Okay? This chapter was 20% Me, the rest% JK Rowling. Next chapter will be 90% Me, 10% Me ripping off a bunch of other sources. Sorry if the whole thing went a bit fast, I had to get a way to not totally plagiarize JK without loosing most of the canon. I think I could do better.

In the next chapter: Being Harry Potter, Harry is subjected to people whispering around him, fuzzy eyesight due to glasses, evil teachers, writing an angry letter, and a visit from a few friends.

PS: The Freckle on the eye thing is just something my friend told me (it was a long story about a chick with one green eye and one brown and a freckle on her eye... you really don't want to hear it). According to my friend who asked the chick, the freckle is just something that you are apparently born with (the chick said she wasn't wearing contacts either so...). I just thought that it might be possible jn the Wizarding World (even if it's been put _there...think about it) That's all I'm saying on that subject._

PSS: PSS and PSSS is just something I got out of a book. See how I rip people off like that?

COOKIES AND MILK TO ALL REVIEWERS!!

PSSS: If I didn't get thirty reviews last chapter, then THIRTY REVIEWS THIS CHAPTER!!! BUAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (Readers: Riiiiiiight....)


	9. Being Harry Potter

Being Harry Potter

Harry woke up the next morning with a headache, a really bad one at that. He itched his head and got up, something didn't smell right.

"Harry!" Harry jumped back as Felan popped up from under the bed, Fi followed him.

"Your reflexes aren't as sharp, and you couldn't even smell us right." Fi chastised. "You're spiraling downwards, Harry..." she whispered. Harry shushed them and gestured to his sleeping roommates.

"They're dead asleep, won't be awake for a while." Felan said.

"Trust me, we checked," Fi said.

"Did you get your necklace?" Felan asked. "It's right here on your trunk, thought you might like it back," he pointed to the trunk where the necklace was.

"How'd you get up here?" Harry asked.

"Dumbledore sent us an owl, long story." Felan said.

"We climbed up the walls, did you know there's porches and stuff jutting out that you can just scale?" Fi asked.

"Have you seen any ghosts yet?" Felan asked.

"Just Nearly Headless Nick," Harry said.

"Nearly Headless? How can you be _nearly _headless?" Fi asked.

"Oh it's very simple," Harry said. "You just get a very dull axe and keep whacking until--"

"Harry?" someone whispered. Harry turned around to see Ron half awake, and looking at Harry. "Who're you talking to?" Harry turned back around, but Felan and Fi weren't there.

"No one," Harry said, "just sleep...talking," he said, realizing exactly how stupid that sounded coming from him.

"Oh," Ron said. Harry checked under his bed but no sign of Felan or Fi. Ron got up and rubbed his eyes, he walked out of the room to-- Harry presumed-- go to the bathroom. Felan and Fi crawled out from under the bed. Felan looked up.

"You have very high cielings here you know," Felan said.

"Anything higher than five feet is just wasted space," Fi said.

"Who's your friend?" Felan asked.

"That's Ron Weasley, I met him on the train." Harry said. Fi muttered something that sounded like it had the word 'Weasley' in it.

"What was that?" Felan asked. Fi shook her head.

"Nothing," she said, "just, it reminded me of weasels and weasels are unlucky...where I come from..." she finished, watching Harry and Felan's incredulous expressions. "Go about your own business, will you?"

"We've got to get going," Felan said, "Dumbledore's note told us be out at exactly six in the morning, and according to my wolfy-senses, it's almost six." he said.

"Can't we stay?" Fi whined, Felan shook his head.

"Dumbledore won't let us come back then!" Felan said. Fi pouted and looked towards Harry.

"Oh yeah, we were supposed to give you this," Fi said, pulling a note out of her pouch. All of the Fianna girls carried a brown leather pouch on their belt, instead of a knife, and it was a continuous mystery to the boys how they managed to fit everything under the sun inside of those pouches (Harry once saw Marlaina pull out a rat carcass from her pouch). Fi gave the note to Harry. "Dumbledore also sent it to us, along with," she pulled a capped vial out of the pouch, "this," she handed it to Harry.

"It's all in the note about it, and on our private tour of the grounds--" Felan was cut off.

"You mean illegal tour of the grounds?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, that," Felan said. "Anyways, on our tour of the grounds we found the Whomping Willow that's referred to in the note, and the knot really does work." he said.

"Whomping Willow?" Harry asked. "Where's that?" Felan grabbed Harry's forearm and led him to the open window.

"See over there?" he asked, "It's right over there only farther," Harry focused his vision and indeed saw a moving tree.

"That's weird," he said.

"Harry! You should come back soon, we're learning how to change into chronos, homid and lupine at will," Fi said, walking over to the window.

"At will?" Harry asked.

"Well, technically yeah. Only on full moons we're still having to change into chronos," Felan said. "It's really fun, and today we're going to be practicing centering it on only one part, like toenails or hair or something," he added.

"Hurts just a tiny bit," Fi said. "And then of course yesterday started our "Mating Education"," she said with a disgusted look.

"Mating Education?" Harry asked, a rogue smile on his face. "I feel like doing my happy dance right now," he said.

"Go ahead, sing a happy song." Felan said.

"And what song would that be? I May Be A Complete Wanker But I've Got An Enormous Broom Shoved Up My--"

"Fi!" Harry hissed. "Where'd you learn language like that?" he asked.

"The Get of Fenris cliaths came yesterday," Felan said. "She's been _fraternizing _with them since they came," he said. "She's especially amorous of one named Anthony, he's quite a looker if I do say so myself," Felan said the last part in a girly voice.

"Shut up, Rabbit-boy,"

"You shut up, Rotten-fish girl!" Felan said. Fi held up a fist as if she were about to punch him, but something rustled and all three of them turned around.

"Anyways, a thousand blessings from Gaia to you, Harry," Fi hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah, about time we get going. We've still got to get there before _Anthony _wakes up," Fi stuck her tongue out at him.

"I am not amorous of Anthony," she said.

"Oh no, your in _love," _Felan taunted.

"How old is Anthony?" Harry asked.

"He just passed his Rite of Passage during the summer, he's still twelve." Fi said.

"That's at least a year older than you, flower-bit," Felan said.

"Shut up, Felan," Fi growled.

"Obviously languishing," Felan said, a wide smile on his face as he sat on the windowsill of the currently open window. Fi turned red and pushed him off.

"Fi!" Harry whispered.

"It's okay, there aren't any rocks down there, trust me." Fi said. She stood on the sill and stepped off. "Bye Harry!" she whispered as she dropped down.

---------------------------------

"That's him?"

"Yeah, next to the tall kid,"

"With the glasses?"

"Did you see the scar?"

Harry was really getting annoyed by the whispering that followed him. People pointed from across the hall at him, standing on tiptoe to get a good look. He really wished they would stop so he could find his classes. When he finally got to the classrooms, Harry learned he had to do a lot more than wave his wand around and say a few words. You had to..._study_. Every Wednsday, at midnight, they had to study the night skies through their telescopes and learn the names of the stars and movements of the planets. Three times a week they went to the greenhouses on the other side of the castle for Herbology, where they had to take care of plants and fungy and learn what they were used for. Then they also had History of Magic,by far the most boring class, and the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns droned on as the kids scribbled notes, occasionally falling asleep.

Professor Flitwick was a tiny little person, who stood on a pile of books to see over the desk. When the class first started, he took roll call and when he reached Harry's name, he squeaked and fell out of sight. Professor McGonagall was a very cross teacher, who told her students the rules the moment they stepped into her Transfiguration class. After they wrote many notes, they started practicing turning matches into needles. At the end, only Hermione Granger had changed the match at all.

Professor Quirrell was perhaps the strangest, his classroom and he smelled strange and the class itself was a bit of a joke.

On Friday, Double Potions seemed to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far. The class took place in the dungeons, (where it was the coldest) and it would have been creepy even without the animals floating in jars. Like Professor McGonagall, Snape could keep a class silent without an effort.

"There is little wand-waving, so many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death..." Harry recorded all of this so he could tell Felan when he came next time.

"Potter!" Harry's head jerked up and he looked at Snape. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Harry thought for a moment.

A Orange smoothie? he thought idly.

"Hm..give up?" Snape asked.

"An orange smoothie?" Harry suddenly burst. Several kids laughed, but Snape didn't seem amused.

"So, Harry Potter is not only a celebrity, but a comedian also?" Snape asked, raising an eyebrow. Several Slytherins sniggered. "Let's try again, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" Hermione raised her hand in the air until Harry was quite sure it would snap off and hit the ground. Harry wasn't quite sure he knew what a bezoar was, but he could at least guess.

"Webster's Dictionary?" Harry asked innocently. Snape ignored him.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Snape asked. Hermione stood up and reached her hand up to the cieling.

Ooh! I know this one! I know this one! Harry thought frantically, he'd learned about Wolfsbane last year. _Monkshood...monkshood...let's see...Dymphna told me not to go near the bottle marked "aconite" in that one weird face-paint because it was the same as monkshood... then I asked Felan's mum about it and she said that monkshood was actually the same as..._

"Wolfsbane is the same plant as monkshood and also goes by the name of aconite?" Harry asked. This seemed to make Snape even angrier than before, he couldn't look more angry if he had smoke pouring from his ears.

"Sit down," Hermione plopped back into her seat. "Well, why aren't you all writing this down?" Everyone suddenly started looking for quills and parchment, over the noise, Snape said, "And five points will be taken for your cheek, Potter." Things didn't go well during the whole lesson. Snape had all of the students in pairs and set them to mixing a potion to cure boils. He walked around, watching them crush snake fangs and weigh dried nettles, yelling at almost everyone but Malfoy, whom he liked. At the end of the lesson, everyone had learned not to put the porcupine quills in before taking the potion off of the fire (a personal lesson courtesy of Neville and Seamus).

At five to three, Harry walked into the library and sat down at one of the tables. No one else (save the librarian, Madame Pince) seemed to be in there at the moment, so it would be a perfect time to start writing his-- ahem-- "angry letter". He got out a piece of parchment, the pocket dictionary that Dymphna had insisted on buying him, a quill and an ink bottle; Harry put his glasses aside and began writing.

Dear Dymphna, he immediately crossed that out. She would laugh at any sort of formal beginning. Harry started over.

Dymphna,

I'll start with the salutations. Greetings, how are you? I'm fine. My first week at Hogwarts has been a moderate success. Now onto the real subject of the letter.

****

He thought about how to put this.

You said you were going to tell me why I was a "hero" (as you so eloquently put it) when we got to the shopping center. But when we arrived at the mall, you seemed to have forgotten. I would like to know the reason that I am a "hero", send your response with Hedwig (the owl).

Gaia's Blessings,

Harry.

By the way, say hello to Katerina for me, and that friend of yours that liked Serial Passions.

PS, I've been getting headaches ever since I started wearing the new glasses for longer periods of time, is this normal?

That was a good letter, not very angry, but very well worded. Harry put everything back into his bag and debated with himself on whether to put the glasses back on. Common sense finally won, and he stuck the glasses in his bag. He walked up to the Owlery on the roof and sent the letter with Hedwig, then walked back down to his dormitory.

--------------------------------------------

**A/N: Not my ****best **_**work, still. But I had some fun writing this chapter. Kusos (Slaith: She means "Kudos) to me for having fun! Yay! **_

**In the next chapter: Dymphna's response, the full moon, flying lessons, and a mountain troll in...Being The Boy-Who-Lived (which if you think about it is exactly the same as Being Harry Potter).**

**And to finish this author's note off, I'm making a ficlet that's connected in one way to this chapter. It's about Maggie and Serial Passions. Please read it an review! (it's going to be on FF soon so check out my bio for it) I'm hoping it's going to be a funny one. **

**THE END OF NOTE**

**KUSOS (Slaith: Once again, she means "kudos") TO ALL REVIEWERS!! **

**I'm still hoping for thirty reviews! crosses fingers**


	10. Being the BoyWhoLived

Being The-Boy-Who-Lived

In all of his years, Harry had never met someone he really didn't like. This all changed when he got to know Draco Malfoy. Luckily, first-year Gryffindors only had potions with the Slytherins, so he didn't have to see Malfoy much. That was until they saw a notice in the common room. Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday, and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together. This was one of those times where Harry _really _wanted to use one of those new words he learned.

"Great," Harry said, "exactly what I've been wanting to do. Make a fool of myself on a broom in front of Malfoy." Really, he wanted to learn how to fly, just not with the Slytherins there.

"How do you know that you'll make a fool of yourself?" Ron asked. "Malfoy's probably all talk about how good he is anyways," And Malfoy _did _talk a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting brooms, and told long bragging stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly avoiding Muggles in helicopters. In fact, everyone (even Ron) seemed to have been on a broomstick at one point in time, except for Neville, who had never been near a broom. Privately, Harry thought that this was a good thing.

Hermione Granger was as nervous as Neville was about flying. This was something that you couldn't learn out of a book, not that she didn't _try. _

On Thursday, a barn owl brought Neville a package from his grandmother. He opened it and showed them a glass ball the size of a marble, full of white smoke.

"It's a Rememberall!" he said. "Gran knows I forget things-- this tells you if you've forgotten something when you squeeze it tight-- like this...oh.." his face fell as the Rememberall suddenly glowed red. He was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who just happened to be passing Gryffindor table, snatched the Rememberall from his hand.

Harry and Ron sprung to their feet, half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but Professer McGonagall was there in a second.

"What's going on here?" Neville quickly explained to the professor, and Malfoy dropped the Rememberall on the table.

"Just looking," he said in a bored voice, as he walked away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him. It was then that Hedwig landed in the middle of Harry's toast and dropped a letter in his lap. Harry gave her a piece of his toast and Hedwig flew away as he tore open the letter.

"Who's that from?" Ron asked.

"A friend," Harry answered, reading the letter through.

_Salutations Potter,_

_I was overjoyed to hear from you. Always nice to hear from a friend. That's great that you've been having a pretty good week, as everything has totally gone to hell here. Katerina lost her job, again. They found a better person suited for Closet World, so she's sitting on the sofa currently indulging in box of chocolates. Hope she doesn't gain too much weight..._

_Maggie (that friend you referred to in the last letter) is fine. She told me to tell you that Mark actually picked Olivia and Kate and Ivonna "comforted" each other. And, no, you can't know what that means until you're older. _

_If you haven't figured it out yet, this is me, Dymphna. In an explanation (answer) to your query (question), I'll try to explain this whole issue to you in one letter. _

_There was this really no good person, a bit of a sociopath (person without a soul, really) too. His name was Voldi Voldemort. Anyways, as I said, he was a really bad person and didn't like half-breeds, or any person with muggle blood in them. So he massacred them in a very Adolf Hitler style, except that he wasn't Jewish (though he did kill the Jewish too). And then one night he tried to kill you, (he'd already succeeded in eliminating your parents, have I ever told you how sorry I am about that?) but, well you didn't die. That much is obvious, then he kind of...died. Okay, I know I'm not making much sense here, but you made him be expelled (kind of) or destroyed him or something. So, that's why you're such a hero, you killed the Lord Voldemort. _

_I'm realize that it would have been a bit easier if I'd told you in person, but I'm forgetful. I need a dayplanner. Anyways, off of this sticky subject, have you made friends?_

_Dymphna, _

_PS: You have very nice handwriting. You girl. _

Harry skimmed past the whole letter, then re-read it to make sure he had read it right.

"WHAT?!" he exclaimed, knocking over his goblet of pumpkin juice. "How could he? That bastard!"

"What?" Ron asked, taking a look at the letter.

"Mark chose Olivia!" Harry said. He lowered his voice. "Oh well, it's okay, it's obviously just a phase until he finally realizes his true feelings Kate and goes back to her, leaving that-" (he said something that he had heard Dymphna use[1]) "to go find someone else." he finished. Ron raised his eyebrows.

"That's quite impressive," he said. Harry folded the letter up and stuffed it in his pocket.

"Okay, ready to go to class?"

At three-thirty that afternoon, the Gryffindor first-years scurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their flying lesson. Harry thought he heard a familiar barking laugh as they made their way down the smooth, flat lawn where the Slytherins were already waiting, along with twenty brooms in neat lines on the ground.

Madam Hooch arrived a few minutes later.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she yelled. "Everyone stick out your right hand over your broom, and say 'Up'!"

"UP!" everyone shouted. Harry's broom jumped right into his hand. Distantly, in his head, he heard shouting and applause; wait, that wasn't in his head! He focused his hearing passed all of the kids still saying 'up!', and he heard them.

"GO HARRY!"

"WOOHOO!!" more whistles and laughter. Harry looked around, but saw no one, he did see that Hermione was also looking around though. He looked back to his broom and heard it again.

"Harry got the broom! Happy dance!" someone yelled. Harry looked at the tower above them, but there was nothing there.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your brooms steady, hover for a few moments, then straight back down. On my whistle, three---two---" Neville, nervous and jittery (reminding Harry of that rabbit Felan saved from Fi once) pushed off before the whistle blew. Madam Hooch yelled for him to come back, but Neville was rising too fast into the air. When he was at least twenty feet up, Harry saw him slip sideways off of the broom and...

CRACK-- Neville hit the ground. The broomstick still rose higher and higher and started to drift lazily towards the Forbidden Forest. Harry heard hearty guffawing, but saw that no one in the class was laughing.

"Just a broken wrist, come, I'll take you to the infirmary," Madam Hooch said, cradling Neville's wrist. "If I see even one person in the air, you'll be kicked out before you can say 'Quidditch'!" she barked at them. No sooner than they were out of earshot, the Slytherins burst out in laughter.

"Did you see his face?" Malfoy asked. He picked up the Rememberall that Neville had dropped in his landing. "Maybe if he'd given this a squeeze, he'd remember to fall on his fat arse!"

"Shut up, Malfoy!" Parvati Patil said. The Slytherins just laughed more.

"Give it here, Malfoy!" Harry said. Malfoy looked as if he were contemplating this.

"I don't think I will, actually. I think I'll leave it for him to find," Malfoy leapt on his broom and zoomed up. Hovering at by the top of a tower he called out, "Come and get it, Potter!" Harry grabbed his broom but Hermione Granger caught him before he could get on.

"No! Madam Hooch told us not to move or we'll get expelled!" Harry shrugged her off and mounted the broom, he kicked off and rose higher and higher off the ground until he was level with Malfoy. This was pretty easy. He whipped around sharply to face Malfoy, who looked stunned.

"Give it here or I'll knock you off your broom!" Harry yelled.

"Oh, yeah?" Malfoy asked, trying to look smug but instead looking worried. Harry gripped the broom tightly, his nails digging into the wood, and he leaned forward. The broom shot forward towards Malfoy, who only got out of the way in time. Malfoy smirked. "Have it your way then!" he shouted. He threw the glass ball high into the air and raced back to ground.

Harry smirked and raced forward, catching the ball in midair. Wind whistled in his ears, along with the screams of his spectators. He landed on the ground with the Rememberall clutched safely in his fist. He had to admit, he'd met Children of Gaia with a better arm than Malfoy's.

"HARRY POTTER!" Harry turned to see Professor McGonagall running toward him. He backed up one step and looked towards the forest. Well _this _had been shortlived, time to go back to the Fianna.

"_Never_ in all my time at Hogwarts..." Professor McGonagall seemed speechless with shock. "You might have broken your neck!" she sighed, "Follow me, Potter." Harry caught sight of Malfoy's triumphant face as he walked numbly behind Professor McGonagall as she strode towards the castle. Professor McGonagall didn't stay a word to him as she marched along in front of him, with Harry following miserably behind.

A thousand thoughts ran through Harry's mind as he walked after her. What would his friends think? No doubt Felan had already told most of the Get of Fenris cliaths that his best friend, Harry Potter had gone to magic school (and if he didn't, he'd probably be telling them very soon), and they had told their friends and their friends told their friends. And then _Marlaina, _she probably told all of her Black Fury girlfriends about it. Fi'd probably bragged to Keavy's Child of Gaia sister about it. What would _they _say when he got back?

Professor McGonagall stopped outside Professer Flitwick's classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside.

"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick? Could I borrow Wood for a moment?"

Wood? They were going to beat him with a _stick_? Maybe not a stick, she called it Wood so it must be a very _big _stick. Don't be confused, he'd been beaten by sticks _before_, but it was just a drawback to playing "Sticks Race" with Holden and Barbara, two Wendigo kids... Of course that was fair, they were just trying to cheat by hitting him in...certain spots, with the sticks (and one fairly shaped stone), but to be beaten with a stick for breaking the rules? _That _was just downright crazy! The worst Harry had ever gotten for breaking the rules was a hit on the head or a talking down to.

Wood turned out to be a person. A fifth-year boy who came out of the classroom looking very confused.

"Potter," Professor McGonagall started, "this is Oliver Wood, captain of the Gryffindor team. Wood, I've found you a Seeker!" she said, smiling with delight. Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to happiness.

"You serious, Professor?" he asked.

Professor McGonagall said a word that Harry didn't completely understand. "The boy's a natural. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?" she asked. Harry nodded. He didn't seem to be getting expelled so the feeling started coming back to his legs.

"He caught that thing in his hand a second after it left the other boy's hand!" Professor McGonagall boasted. "It didn't drop a foot, Wood. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it!" Wood now looked as if he were told there was a free bag of Mallomars waiting for him outside. Well, at least that's how he looked to _Harry. _

"Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?" he asked.

_That was my first time on a broom, you twit, what do you think? _Harry said inwardly. He shook his head.

"No," he said. Wood looked at Harry from all angles.

"He's got the right build for a Seeker too. Light, speedy-- we'll have to get him a good broom though, Professor. A Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven?" Wood said.

"I'll speak to Professor Dumbledore about it, see if we can't bend the first year rule." Professor McGonagall said. She looked at him sternly. "I want to hear you're training hard, Potter. Or I may change my mind about punishing you," Harry gulped. Train hard, no beating with a stick. He got it. "Your father would have been so proud, he was and excellent Quidditch player himself."

--------------

"You _must _be kidding!" Felan said, lounging on Harry's bed with a pack of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans in hand. "Only _you _would have that luck, Potter!" He sniffed a jelly bean before popping it into his mouth. "Hm, lemony..."

"If I'd broken the rules like that, I'd be booted!" Fi said.

"Well, I actually thought I would be beaten by a stick called 'Wood!'" Harry said.

"Oh please, you would never be beaten by a stick," Felan said. It was now Friday, and Harry had been walking up to his dormitory for a mid-day snack of stored Mars Bars and other chocolate candies when he found Felan, looking through his trunk and Fi, watching Ron's Chudley Cannons poster with wide eyes.

"What do you mean I would never be beaten by a stick?" Harry asked. "I _have _been beaten by a stick before."

"Yes but you would never be beaten here." Fi said.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"You mean you don't know?" Felan asked, getting up off of the bed. "Odyn told _us_,"

"As in the whole tribe," Fi corrected.

"Right, us." Felan said. "Well, that he told that giant man, Rubeus Hagrid, that if they inflicted any pain on you here, they would have the Red Talons _and _the Fianna _and _The Bone Gnawers-- you know, from Dee's family -- _and _the Get of Fenris-- from my family-- _and _the Black Furies-- from Marlaina's connections-- enemies of the school. Perhaps even the Glass Walkers too."

"It's the Get of Fenris that probably really got him scared, e'ery one knows they're a force to be reckoned with." Fi said, "They really don't back down easy." Harry raised his eyebrows, but Felan quickly changed the subject.

"So when's your next break, Harry, we've been bored stupid by our lessons. Nothing interesting happens anymore," Felan said. Harry checked his Playboy calender (compliments of Katerina) that he had hidden under his bed. It was now Halloween, so...

"December," Harry said.

"Harry, you know those months make no sense to us." Fi said. "How many...moons?" she asked. Harry consulted the calender again.

"Two, I'm pretty sure." he said. "Are we migrating again this year? Last year was fun,"

"Yep, and this time we're swapping homelands with the Wendigo. They like the cold," Felan said. "And _we Fianna _get to go to the _beach._" Harry raised his eyebrows.

"I like the beach," he said.

"Yes, and we get to have ice lollies while we're sitting on the beach relaxing," Fi said, stretching out on Ron's bed. "Hm, whoever sleeps here smells **very** good," she said.

"Only you would think that, Fi." Felan said. He turned back to Harry. "So tell me more about this Quidditch thing,"

"You get a broom, right?" Fi asked. Harry nodded, and grabbed Ron's copy of _Which Broomstick, _he turned to the page with the Nimbus Two Thousands and showed them. There was general oohing and aahing.

"Where is it?" Felan asked.

"Broom closet by the Quidditch Pitch," Fi gasped and covered her mouth.

"How much have you two been coming up here?" Harry asked.

"Only every Quidditch practice and occasionally to play tag with the Giant Squid," Felan said.

"Then we have to hightail it back home before the bossman wakes up," Fi said. Harry raised an eyebrow at her choice of words.

Felan turned to Harry. "Did I mention the Glass Walker cliaths finally made an appearence?" Harry shook his head. "Well, Fi's just been around them all day everyday,"

"They taught me this cool way to fold leaves in paper and it makes it feel like your floating on air!" Fi said, making little wing movements with her hands. "So, how's school?" Fi asked.

"Boring," Harry answered. "How's Mating Education?" he asked with a smug smile.

"You know, you're going to have to take a cram course when you get back," Fi said.

"Cram course?" Harry asked.

"She means you're going to have to learn it very fast." Felan said.

"They're hanging up decorations in the Great Hall, can we go watch?" Fi asked. Harry shrugged.

"Can you blend in?" he asked.

"Please, we're masters of disguise. And plus, if that fails, we've always got that veil thing." Felan said.

"Very grammatically correct," Fi said.

"You know about grammar but you don't know the months," Harry muttered, "typical."

"Just give us some robes," Fi said. "I want to see the giant pumpkins!" Harry thought that it wouldn't do much harm if they just had a look, so he grabbed two robes out of his trunk and handed them to his friends.

"Hm, interesting," Felan said, feeling the material. "Now why can't they make the pants out of this material?" he asked, "I'm always getting chafed in places that you _really _don't want to be chafed."

"Just put it on," Fi said, pulling the robe over her shoulders and gathering it in the front. "Ooh, I'm a Gryffindor!" she said. "Grrr..."

"Okay, see that kind of behavior, not allowed in the school." Harry said. Fi rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, sorry."

"What's that thing on your eye?" Harry asked. Fi rubbed her eye.

"Nothing, nothing."

"It's a freckle, or at least that's what it looks like." Felan answered, trying to figure out how to put the robe on. After Harry had gone over some basic rules (no spitting, no fighting, no loud complaining, and no yelling at the teachers, no kicking, no changing and no insults to anyone) they left.

"Why's everything so fancy all of a sudden?" Fi whispered.

"It's Halloween," Harry said.

"What's that?" Felan asked.

"It's like a big Moot, only no raw meat, no revels, no changing, no dancing, no hearings, no chantings and... no moots." Harry said.

"Oh, so it's just food?" Fi asked with a disgusted face.

"And candy," Harry said. Fi and Felan glanced at eachother.

"We like candy," they both said.

"Well that's good then, because it looks like the feast is starting," Harry said.

"Well you can't really call it a Moot then can you? It's just dinner," Felan said.

"I guess," Harry said.

"HARRY!" Ron ran up to Harry wheezing. "I was trying to find you! I ran up to the tower but you weren't there and then I ran back down and you were here," Ron said. Fi cocked her head and sniffed.

"He's the boy who sleeps in the bed?" she whispered, very low to Harry. He nodded. She looked as if she were about to cough up a furball (even started making the choking noises).

"Who're they?" Ron asked. Harry thought quickly.

"Second years. That's right, they're second years." he said. "Um..Felan Ca.." he stammered, "Felan Kowley and..." he gestured to Fi.

"Flanna Galway," she said quickly.

"Yes, Flanna Galway." Harry said.

"We'll just go...sit..." Felan said.

"And eat," Fi finished. They walked off leaving Harry standing there with Ron.

"That's strange, I've never heard of them here," Ron said. "Well, we'd better sit down too." he said. Harry nodded and followed Ron to a seat. He cast a look at Felan and Fi and briefly wondered how she came up with that name so fast, but then all was forgotten as the food appeared on the table. He and Ron heard Parvati Patil telling Lavender Brown that Hermione Granger was in the bathrooms, crying. "Why?" Ron asked.

"Maybe she heard you say that no one can stand her?" Harry asked. Ron shrugged and they continued eating.

Harry smiled as he saw Fi pushing away plates of cooked steak and potatoes in disgust and ended up eating only bread, while Felan consumed more and more fish. Harry was helping himself to a baked potato when Professor Quirell ran into the hall. Everyone stared as he stopped in the middle of the hall and gasped out.

"Troll-- in the dungeon-- thought you ought to know." Then he slumped to the floor in a dead faint.

There was an uproar. Professor Dumbledore finally brought silence by shooting off several purple fireworks. Harry looked over to see how Fi and Felan were taking this. Surprisingly well. Fi was grabbing a bowl of mashed potatoes and Felan was...still eating fish...

"Prefects," Professor Dumbledore rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"

"How could a troll get in?" Harry asked Ron as they climbed the stairs to the tower. Harry occasionally looked behind him to see if they had gone or were following.

"I don't know, they're supposed to be really stupid," Ron said. They passed different people in different directions as they walked to Gryffindor tower. Harry suddenly grabbed Ron's arm.

"Hermione!" he said.

"What about her?" Ron asked.

"She doesn't know about the troll," Ron bit his lip.

"Let's go find her," he said. "But we better not get caught," Harry looked behind him and saw Felan nodding.

"I wouldn't worry about that," he said. They ducked and joined the Hufflepuffs going the other way, and slipped down a corridor. Then hurried off to the girls bathroom. They had just turned a corridor when they heard footsteps behind them. Ron pulled Harry behind a large stone griffin. It was Snape, he crossed the corridor, looked around, then disappeared from view.

"What's he doing?" Harry whispered.

Meanwhile...

"Harry needs us to distract," Felan whispered, yanking Fi from the crowd and going into an empty corridor.

"Distract?" Fi asked. "Oh, he's going on an adventure. I get it," she said. "So, we will distract for him!"

"Attagirl," Felan said. They took off the robes and stuffed them in a broom closet. "So, we follow his scent in case he runs into a teacher, then we-- ugh, what's that smell?"

"Smells like rotten goat piss mixed with rabid calf dung set out to boil under a new moon." she said. Felan turned to her.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"You really don't want to know,"

"I really don't," Felan said. "Let's follow the smell, then." Fi grabbed his arm.

"You crazy? I'm going to pass out here!" she said.

"Remember the club code," Felan chided.

"Don't make friends with sick dogs?" Fi asked. Felan looked down the corridor.

"Exactly,"

"Felan, that makes no sense--"

"Quiet!" Felan grabbed her and pulled her into the shadows as a man passed by. Fi looked his way.

"He smells interesting," she whispered.

"Fi, don't!" It was too late, Fi had already ran off after the man to see where he was going. Felan bit his lip, trying to decide whether to go after his friend or not. He finally came to his desicion. "I'm leaving!" he whispered, and ran off the other way.

You see, it all came down to the very last and most important of the club codes: In the event that you should have a choice of helping your friend get out of trouble or saving your own selfish hide; choose the one you think would benefit you the most. And right now, to Felan, it seemed that Fi could save herself.

And now we return to our main protagonists.

Harry and Ron crept down the next corridor as soon as they no longer heard Snape's footsteps.

"Can you smell something?" Harry asked. Ron sniffed and grimaced.

"Smells nasty!" Harry thought idly that it smelled like that foul, mouldy-brown drink that Fi always had to prepare for Keavy. Something about goat's piss boiled under a full moon or something... Then they heard it.

A low grunting and the footfalls of gigantic feet. At the end of the passage something huge moved towards them. It was a monstrous sight. Twelve feet tall, with skin a dull gray, and a fat lumpy body like a boulder with a tiny head that looked like a coconut. Harry almost choked on the smell coming from it. In fact, he _did _hear someone choke, and it wasn't Ron.

The troll stepped into a room and disappeared from view, dragging it's club after it.

"Look, the key's in the lock!" Harry said. "We can lock it in!"

"Sure," Ron said nervously. They ran to the door and prayed the troll wouldn't chose this moment to come back out. Harry pushed the door shut and Ron locked it with the key.

"Yes!" they both exclaimed. And somewhere in an office in London, Katerina Snodger slammed her hand to her forehead and exclaimed also, "No, no! Those _idiots!"_

----------------------------------

**A/N: GAAH! LONG CHAPTER! AND I'M STILL NOT ENTIRELY DONE WITH CHAPTER NINE! EVIL EVIL PLOT BUNNIES (Slaith: Actually, we prefer the term Artistic Muses) (Nori: Plot bunny isn't politically correct). No, I don't think I'll explain the Katerina thing just yet. It's just another one of those things I throw in there to throw you off a bit (Mairi: That was all me, baby!) (Nori: Good God where'd you come from?!). As you can see, the muses are having a little party in my head (Mairi: RAISE THE ROOF! WHOO WHOO!). **

**I'm planning on doing a sequel, but if you people don't want more of my painful writing then just say so. 4 more information, go to my bio (On the Subject of MoTW). **

**And, no you will not find out about the Katerina thing until a very long while (probably in the sequel, I'm evil like that). Oh, come on. You knnnnew I just wasn't going to leave Katerina without a twist ( Kitty!). I think it's going to be an interesting part of the story, but, then again, I'm the writer. Tell me if you want to expand more on that. **

**Oh and the [1] is: What Harry said that he heard Dymphna say many many times....Skanky whore. **

**COOKIES AND HORCHATA TO ALL REVIEWERS!!!**

**PS: I'm still crossing my fingers for thirty reviews! Now to start on chapter eleven before I've even uploaded chapter nine! I'm such an overachiever. **


	11. Being Followed

Being Followed

"Ron," Harry turned to his friend, "what floor is the bathroom that Hermione is in on?" he asked. Ron looked in horror at the door then turned back to Harry.

"We have to go get her," he said.

"But...the troll!"

"We'll just get in and get out, with luck the troll won't even see us!" Ron said. Harry bit his lip, his eyes darting around as he desperately tried to think of another way. But the only thing that he heard in his mind was Felan's voice.

_"Remember the club code," _

If you've done something very bad and someone gets hurt because of it, you're considered a murderer and to be shunned.

Exactly HOW did Felan think those things up?

"Fine," Harry said. He grabbed the key out of the lock and Ron pushed the door open.

The troll was standing in the bathroom, rubbing it's nose and looking confused as Hermione Granger exited one of the stalls, also wiping her nose. She looked up the troll and shrieked.

"_Hermione!" _Harry and Ron said together. Hermione had ran back into the stall and slammed the door shut. The troll swung it's club at the stalls and destroyed almost all of them. Harry saw Hermione huddled on the floor with her hands over her head.

"Confuse it!" Ron yelled, grabbing a thick piece of wood from the stalls and throwing it at the troll. The troll shook it's head and looked towards Harry and prepared to swing it's club when Ron threw a metal pipe at it's head. The troll turned towards Ron, giving Harry time to run. For about the first time in Harry's life, he _really _wished he had his knife.

Hermione screamed, Ron screamed and Harry shouted.

"RON! RUN!" he yelled. The troll seemed to be getting more confused by the moment until someone threw something at the back of it's neck. A perfect shot. The troll turned around again and was hit in the eye, it blinked and rubbed it's eye.

Harry felt someone pull the wand from his pocket and it was thrown towards the trolls head, right into its....nose.

Howling with rage and pain, the troll swung its' club around wildly when Ron raised his wand.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!" _the club stayed in the air and raised higher and higher until it dropped onto the troll's head with a thunk. Harry heard retreating footsteps and everything was quiet. After a moment, he went to retrieve his wand from the troll's nostril.

"Gross," he wiped off the sticky wand on his robes. It was at that moment that Professors McGonagall, Snape, Dumbledore and Quirell walked into the room. Had they been just a few moments late, Harry would have been able to really think about what had just happened. He'd have realized who had thrown so sharply and with such good aim-- he might have ran out of the room and caught the real culprit, and this chapter might have had quite a different ending.

Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall looked at Ron and Harry, trembling with anger.

If Harry wasn't so sure that he wouldn't be harmed here, he would have been much more afraid.

"What on earth were you thinking?" asked Professor McGonagall. "You're lucky you weren't killed, and _why _aren't you in your rooms?" Then a small voice spoke up.

"Professor," Hermione squeaked. "They were looking for me,"

"Miss Granger!" Hermione's eyes darted around in what one might think was fright.

"I went looking for the troll alone, I thought I could deal with it on my own. I've read all about them, you know." Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger, lying to a teacher?

"If they hadn't found me," Hermione said, "I'd be dead," Harry and Ron tried to look as if the story was true.

"Well in that case..." Professor McGonagall said. "Five points, will be taken for your foolishness," she said. "Now if you're not hurt, then you may go back to your common room. Students are finishing their meals in their houses." Hermione quietly slipped out of the room and Professor McGonagall turned to Harry and Ron.

"Well, you were lucky, I'll say that." said Professor McGonagall. "Not many first years could take on a fully grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. You each win five points for Gryffindor. You may go," Harry and Ron practically ran out of the room and into the hallway. They leaned against the wall, both gasping for air.

"Can you believe we did that?" Ron asked. Harry shook his head.

"That was..."

"So cool," Ron finished. "I agree, now let's get some dinner." he said.

"Good of her to get us out of trouble like that," Harry said.

"Mind you, we _did _save her," Ron said.

"She might not have needed to be saved if we hadn't locked the thing in with her," Harry reminded.

They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Pig Snout," Ron said and they entered. The common room was packed and everyone was chattering noisily. Food had been set up and everyone was eating, but Hermione stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a pause in which there--it seemed--there was nothing to say. They all mumbled "thanks" and went off to get plates.

From then on, Hermione Granger was not--and for this Harry was actually, a bit glad-- a part of the 'gang', but she was a friend.

-----------------------

"March, girl!" Felan yelled. Marlaina Foley rolled her eyes and walked ahead of her fellow pack-mate. "How did you end up here anyways?" Felan asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I followed you," Marlaina said. "It was dead easy, you two have _no _sense of being watched." she said. Felan gave her a shove and the red-head stumbled forward. "Hey! You're not the boss of me!" she yelled.

"Yes, but I _am _stronger than you." Felan boasted. Marlaina scoffed.

"Sure thing...Rabbit-boy," Felan narrowed his eyes.

"Do not call me that," he said through gritted teeth.

"Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit-boy! Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit!" Marlaina sang. She raised her hands up to her mouth and made a rabbit face.

"Hey!" Felan yelled, "Only Fi can call me that!" he said.

"Speaking of the girl wonder, where is she?" Marlaina asked. Felan looked around.

"Could of sworn..." he turned around. "Okay, this isn't funny..."

"She's gone," Marlaina said. "But she was somewhere around here very recently."

"Well, how are we supposed to find her?" Felan asked. Marlaina shrugged.

"Let's ask Harah," she said.

"Harah?" Felan asked.

"Do you study? At all?" Marlaina asked. She sighed. "Harah is the Baobhan Sith, Guardian of the Forest."

"Baobhan Sith does _not _mean Guardian of the Forest!" Felan said.

"No, she _is _a Baobhan Sith and her job is guarding the forest!" Marlaina said. "I swear, sometimes you are so thick!"

"I am _not _thick!" Felan yelled.

"Oh please, yes you are!" Marlaina said. Felan pointed a finger at her.

"That kind of attitude will get you nowhere in life, missy!" he said. Marlaina looked at his finger and grabbed it.

"You ever point your finger at me like that again and you will pull back a stub!" she yelled.

"Look who's talking miss SIX FINGERS!" Felan yelled. He stopped and pulled his finger back. "This is oddly familiar," he said.

"What?" Marlaina asked.

"Like I've said this before," Felan said. "Oh well, we'd better get back to the caves. Mum's gonna kill me."

"Same here," Marlaina said. They started walking back to the forest, Felan hoping that Fi was at the caves. Otherwise Keavy would likely kill him too.

-------------------------

**A/N: And this is where this installment of Mark of the Wolf ends. Hope you enjoyed it, I simply have no more plot bunny (Nori: MUSE!!!) in me to go on. Next chapter: The frost begins. Felan shows something to Harry, a competition and a few arrivals. Harry discovers the Mirror of Erised and Christmas on the Beach begins! OH, yeah, and the first Quidditch Match of the season!**

**To Marlaina, you'll be seeing a lot more of Marlaina Foley in the next chapter (and we'll be hearing a lot more of her too). **

**That's about all you reviewers need to know at the moment. You've gotten very vague and not so subtle clues throughout the story and I've worked my butt off trying to add them in as much as humanly possible, so applaud me reviewers. **

**BEN AND JERRY'S AND COOKIES TO ALL REVIEWERS!!! (Slaith: Because the milk was getting old, we need to buy more.) (Nori: It's good cheez now.)**

**Bunyip Baby OUT!**


	12. Being Friends

Being Friends  
  
As November rolled in, it started getting much colder. Everything turned an icy grey and Hagrid could be seen defrosting the broomsticks downstairs.  
  
The Quidditch season had begun. Harry would have his first match on Saturday after weeks of training: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. He hadn't seen Fi and Felan since Halloween and had this bad feeling that they had been caught...or forgotten or that it was cleaning week.  
  
It was really lucky that Harry now had Hermione as a friend. He couldn't have gotten through all of his homework without her. And also, she lent him Quidditch Through the Ages, which turned out to be very interesting.  
  
Everything was going so smoothly with school and Harry's new friends, that he forgot that times like this lead to bad things. And it was the day before the Quidditch match that something happened. You couldn't consider it bad or good, just something in between.  
  
"Harry!" an arm wrenched Harry into the boy's bathroom and the door was shut and locked.  
  
"Felan!" Harry growled. "What's going on here?" he asked.  
  
"Something's wrong with Fi," Felan said. "Something strange,"  
  
"Something strange is always wrong with Fi," Harry said. "It's the way she works."  
  
"No, something stranger!" Felan said. "She won't come out of her room, Harry. Not even for a bit of a runaround. I even tried bribing her with rabbit and she wouldn't come out."  
  
"What?" Harry asked. "She always comes out for rabbit," he said. "Did you try deer?" Felan nodded.  
  
"And fish, and those little beans you gave us. Nothing's working."  
  
"That's weird," Harry said.  
  
"Not, it seems, weird enough. Keavy gave this to me, I can't make sense of it. See if you can." Felan gave a piece of paper to Harry and Harry looked at it. "She drew it. Fi, I mean."  
  
"It's a castle," Harry said.  
  
"I see that," Felan deadpanned. "But not only is it a very good castle, it also seems to be three dimensional and that moss growing off of the rocks just jumps off of the paper there," Felan said. "And Fi can't draw."  
  
"Not to save her life," Harry said. "What's this at the bottom?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, that's a bit of a scribble she did. It looked like she was about to write something but stopped right in the middle." Harry looked at it closely and tried to read it but it was crossed off too many times.  
  
"This is a bit..."  
  
"Scary?" Felan asked. "Strange? Why the hell didn't she tell us?" he asked.  
  
"I was going to say remarkable, but I think you've got it down." Harry said. "How would she know how to draw a castle like this?" he asked.  
  
"Keavy said there were more drawings, all on the floor. It's all she's been doing: drawing, drawing, drawing." Felan said.  
  
"I know a way to get her out," Harry said. "It's possibly the only way to get her out."  
  
"What?" Felan asked eagerly.  
  
"A fight," Harry said.  
  
"Tried," Felan said.  
  
"With Marlaina?" Harry asked. Felan raised an eyebrow.  
  
"That sounds promising." Felan said.  
  
"And if that doesn't work...the match!" Harry said.  
  
"What match?" Felan asked.  
  
"Well, I really wasn't going to tell you because you two were probably going to do something wrong, but, I've got a Quidditch match tomorrow." Harry said.  
  
"TOMORROW?" Felan yelled. He calmed down. "What time?"  
  
"Be at the pitch about an hour before noontime," Harry said.  
  
"But...classes!"  
  
"Play sick," Harry said. "You've done that quite a few times, it should be no problem."  
  
"Fine," Felan said. "If Marlaina calling her out doesn't work, I'll drag her to the Quidditch game." he said.  
  
-------------------  
  
The next morning was bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of delicious smells and the students were chattering excitedly about the Quidditch match. But for some reason, Harry didn't seem hungry, or like talking.  
  
"Here, Harry, have some breakfast." Hermione said, putting a crumpet on his plate. Harry shook his head.  
  
"Not hungry,"  
  
"Just the crumpet?" Hermione wheedled.  
  
"No," Harry said. He'd never exactly felt this way before about something, and wasn't sure how to act. He felt nervous, terrible, anxious, sad and somehow responsible for the way Fi was acting, all in one day. Not to mention, in just two hours he would be walking onto the pitch.  
  
---------------------------  
  
Felan ran up to Marlaina that day (accidently shoving Violet--who was carrying a plate of ribs-- to the ground), realizing he was probably supposed to ask her this yesterday.  
  
"What, boy?" she snapped when he tapped her shoulder.  
  
"I need you to help me," Felan said. Marlaina kept walking. "Hey! Wait up!" she stopped.  
  
"Why would I need to help you when I already know what it is and I know I'm not going to?" she asked. "I've got too many duties to help you with Fi," Marlaina said.  
  
"But, Marlaina. This is an emergency." Felan said. "It's urgent! I promise, once you get to her room you'll completely understand. I was just there this morning after all," he said. Marlaina sighed and dropped the woven basket she had been carrying on the ground.  
  
"Fine," she said. "If it's as bad as you say then..."  
  
"It is, trust me!" Felan said. They went into the caves and followed the passageway until they faced an entrance hole covered by a blanket. "Here," he pushed Marlaina in and she fell through. What she saw astounded her. The room was surgically clean, well, to Fi's standards anyways. Everything was brushed up and put in it's rightful place, there weren't any stinky dead things around, and that pile of clothes that used to be in the middle of the floor: gone.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Fi asked from a corner. Marlaina looked around the room with wide eyes. There was silence for a moment as Fi put yet another drawing in a small pile a few feet away from her.  
  
"What is this?" Marlaina asked.  
  
"My room," Fi said. "What do you want? People just don't go barging into my room for no reason at all...well, unless your Felan." Marlaina gasped.  
  
"You actually called him by his name!" she said.  
  
"What of it?" Fi asked.  
  
"I've never heard you do that before!" Marlaina said. "It's obvious whatever's doing this to you is serious, so I've come to expel it out of you," she said. Fi rolled her eyes and got to her feet.  
  
"First of all, nothing is wrong with me at all. Second of all, how do you plan on expelling it out of me?" she asked.  
  
"Well," Marlaina bit her lip. "I've come to fight you," she said.  
  
"Fight me?" Fi asked. "Try,"  
  
"Pick your weapon," Marlaina asked.  
  
"I say...chobos," Fi said.  
  
"Fighting staff," Marlaina said. Both girls glared at eachother for a minute, then both said "Rock, paper, scissors!" They held out their hands and played a quick game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, ending in both of them choosing rock. They played again, and both chose scissors.  
  
"FELAN!" both girls yelled. Felan poked his head through the blanket.  
  
"Need a referee?" he asked.  
  
------------------  
  
By eleven o' clock, the whole school seemed to be crammed into the stands around the field. Hermione and Ron joined Neville, Seamus and Dean up in the top row, holding a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined. It said "Potter for President" with a Gryffindor lion underneath.  
  
On the way into the lockers, Harry saw a large black wolf and a large gold wolf walking in from the forest. They solemnly walked into the Gryffindor stands and Harry walked into the locker room. Now he was even more nervous. What if they did something bad?  
  
After they changed into their robes, Wood cleared his throat for silence.  
  
"Okay, men," he said.  
  
"And women," said Chaser Angelina Johnson.  
  
"This is it," Wood said.  
  
"The big one," said Fred Weasley.  
  
"The one we've all been waiting for," said George.  
  
"We were on the team last year," Fred said. "We know his speech by heart."  
  
"Shut up, you two," Wood warned. "This is the best team we've had in years. We're going to win, I know it." he glared at them as if to say "Or else".  
  
Harry followed Fred and George out of the locker room and hoped his knees weren't going to give way, he walked into the field to loud cheers. He saw the two wolves (who had obviously been kicked out of the stands) lying on the grass and barking at each other.  
  
Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the center of the pitch, waiting for the two teams with the broom in her hand.  
  
"Now I want a nice, clean game." she said, "From all of you," Harry noticed that she seemed to be talking to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint. Harry thought he looked as if he was troll-bred. "Mount your brooms!" Harry clambered onto his broom and when Madam Hooch gave her whistle, all fifteen brooms rose up into the air. They were off.  
  
"And the Quaffle goes to Gryffindor!" The Weasley twin's friend, Lee Jordan was doing the commentary. "Neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver's--back to Johnson and--no, the Slytherins have the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes-- Flint flying like an eagle up there!" Harry looked around but didn't see the Snitch anywhere in sight.  
  
"GRYFFINDORS SCORE!" Gryffindors cheered and Slytherins groaned. When Angelina scored, Harry saw the wolves down on the grass bark happily until something caught his eye, and apparently Felan's too. Felan (the golden wolf) barked happily and started chasing the Snitch until it rose too high in the air. Harry zoomed down, but the Snitch was nowhere to be found, the Slytherin Seeker also went down to look for it but it wasn't there.  
  
"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan said. "Chaser Pucey ducks two bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell speeds toward the--wait a moment--was that the Snitch?" Harry saw it, by Adrian Pucey's ear. Harry saw it, Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it. They both hurtled towards the Snitch until,  
  
WHAM! Harry was blocked by Marcus Flint. He could almost see stars in front of his eyes for a moment as people started yelling at Marcus Flint. Then his broom gave a sudden lurch. It started zig-zagging and raising higher and higher into the air. He looked down to where people were pointing up at him and where Felan was pushing Fi against the wall to keep her from either changing or running into the middle of the field. The broom started jerking back and forth, like it was trying to buck him off, and it rolled around several times. Harry just managed to stay on as the broom went around and around.  
  
Hey, he could almost see the caves from here! Okay, aside from the point... Hey, is that Marlaina down there? How'd she get here? And why is she looking at Wood that way?  
  
Suddenly the broom rolled over once more and managed to throw Harry off. Then it just stopped, nothing else happened, it just floated there. Harry grabbed the handle and threw his leg over. He looked over the pitch and there it was, the golden Snitch. Unfortunately, at that time, Terence Higgs also saw it.  
  
The two Seekers both shot forward with their arms stretched forward for the Snitch. Also unfortunately, the Snitch was right by Felan's tail, and Fi decided to cheat. She grabbed the Snitch with her mouth and started running towards the Hufflepuff stands. Felan grabbed the end of Terence Higg's broom and pulled him back as Fi ran around the field a few times with the Snitch in her mouth and Harry chasing her.  
  
He could vaguely hear Lee Jordan egging "that giant yellow dog" on, to check if Terence was still back there. That just happened to be when Fi stopped and released the Snitch. Harry turned back around to see the Snitch right below him, he reached out his arm to grab it when the broom went wonky again and landed straight up in the grass. Harry was taken off guard and was flipped off flat against the wall. He fell to the ground, head first and then fell over on his stomach.  
  
Fi looked at him and Harry saw her smile as if to say "Hey, that was cool. Do that more often," or maybe, "Look under you, fool,". It was probably the latter, because at that moment Harry felt something twitter underneath his stomach. He reached a hand under him and found the Snitch.  
  
"Harry Potter's got the Snitch!" Lee yelled. "GRYFFINDOR WINS!" Fi took this as her cue and ran off to the other side of the field to avoid the large mob of Gryffindors. Felan let go of Terence's broomstick and followed her, sending the Slytherin Seeker flying in the air. Twenty minutes later, Lee Jordan was still shouting happily that Gryffindor had won and the fans were...still mobbing, and the Slytherins still groaning. But Harry didn't hear any of this because he had been whisked away back to school by Hermione and Ron.  
  
"Where're we going?" Harry asked, still a bit whoozy from dropping head-first into the ground.  
  
"Common room, we've got something to tell you." Ron said. Was this the way? Harry didn't know, everything was still kind of fuzzy to him.  
  
-----------------------  
  
"You totaled the car?" Dymphna asked.  
  
"It was a complete accident!" Katerina said.  
  
"You totaled my CAR?" Dymphna asked again.  
  
"I'm very, very sorry," Katerina said.  
  
"I can't believe you totaled my car!" Dymphna yelled.  
  
"Now, Dymphna, just calm down," Katerina said. "It's okay, you can buy another one."  
  
"But you totaled my car!" Dymphna yelled. "How is it going to be okay? You totaled my car!" Katerina raised a finger to quiet her screaming flatmate.  
  
"But, Harry won the Quidditch Match," she said.  
  
"He did? Oh that's wonderful!" Dymphna said. "It was on account of technicality, wasn't it?" she asked.  
  
"No, actually it was on account of cheating." Katerina said. "But he won,"  
  
"What's happening now?" Dymphna asked.  
  
"I don't know, they won't let me in." Katerina said.  
  
------------------------  
  
Harry may have been half-blind on account of his glasses and being hit on the head, but his nose was still fine. And his nose told him something smelled weird around this part. Then the staircase moved.  
  
"Why's the staircase moving?" Harry squeaked.  
  
"The staircases change, remember?" Hermione asked. No, he couldn't. He must've been tuning out during that part. The staircase stopped in front of a door and the three kids ran up to the door before the staircase could change again. Ron opened the door and they went inside.  
  
Hm...something smells...  
  
Harry heard a meow from behind him and they all turned around.  
  
"It's Filch's cat!" Hermione said.  
  
"Run," Harry said. They ran to the end of the corridor where there was a door, Ron tried to pull it open.  
  
"Locked," he said.  
  
"Oh, move over," Hermione snarled. She tapped the lock with her wand and whispered, "Alohamora!" The lock clicked and the door swung open. They piled into the room and shut the door quickly. They pressed their ears to the door to listen.  
  
"Which way did they go, Mrs. Norris?" Filch was saying. "There's no one around here, oh well." They heard his retreating footsteps and the door shut. Harry sniffed the air and turned around.  
  
For a moment, he was sure that he had walked into a nightmare (possibly Katerina's)--this was too much, on top of everything that had happened so far.  
  
They weren't in a room, persay, they were in a corridor. The third floor corridor, that one that was forbidden.  
  
"Oh, holy sh--"  
  
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, turning around. Ron turned around also. They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. One that Harry was sure he'd seen in one of Teacher Olivia's fairy tale books. One with three huge heads, six rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching in their direction; and three drooling mouths, saliva hanging from yellowish fangs.  
  
It growled. Ron whimpered and the door was wrenched open from the other side.  
  
"Oh, damn. I thought this was the way out," said a voice. They all fell backward and Harry slammed the door shut. He looked at the person.  
  
"Marlaina?" he asked. "What're you doing here?"  
  
"I swear, are the Fianna always this thick?" she asked. "Probably why my sisters went to the Black Furies,"  
  
"But I thought..." Harry shook his head. "Nevermind. Why are you here?" he asked.  
  
"Who's this?" Hermione asked.  
  
"A friend," Marlaina smiled. "Who's this?" she asked, nodding in Hermione's general direction.  
  
"A friend," Harry said.  
  
"Hm, can't say much about your taste in mates, Potter." Marlaina growled.  
  
"Has the whole world just gone crazy or something?" Harry asked. Marlaina shook her head.  
  
"No, just you." she said. "But really, Harry," she whispered, "a human?" she mouthed out. "What kind of Garou are you?" she asked.  
  
"The one that goes to magic school," Harry deadpanned.  
  
"Yes, that's true. How's that going for you by the way?" she asked.  
  
"Excuse me," Hermione said. "But who are you?" she asked.  
  
"Marlaina Foley, how are you?" Marlaina said. She didn't wait for Hermione's response, she just turned back to Harry. "Anyways, Harry. I was just wondering if you were coming back any time soon, because my sisters and brothers are coming and they want to meet you." she said.  
  
"Not until two moons," Harry whispered.  
  
"Two moons?" Marlaina yelled. "Fine, but you better be there. My cousin Marine is coming all the way from the Czech Republic Black Furies to see you. And my sister Enoch from the Ireland Furies, and Verna from France, and Jerima from Spain, and Furr and Turi..."  
  
"I get it," Harry said. "I'll be there." he said.  
  
"New I could count on you," Marlaina said. "By the way, where'd you get the hellhound?" she asked with a predatory smile.  
  
----------------------  
  
"Can't believe they're keeping something like that, locked up in the school!" Ron said. "If any dog needs exersize, that one does!" Hermione looked deep in thought and Harry was still recovering from being shocked a few too many times in a day. Three werewolves visiting Hogwarts regularly? The school would never recover.  
  
"I've figured it out!" Hermione said.  
  
"Figured what out?" Ron asked.  
  
"Where I heard the names that girl was saying before!" she said. Harry paled.  
  
"What girl?" Ron asked. "Oh, right, that girl."  
  
"Yes, the names she was referring to. Fianna, Black Furies, Garou, Foley?" she said. "Any of them ring a bell?" she asked. The boys shook their heads. Harry really wasn't sure about how Hermione new the name Foley. "It was in History. Remember? Grindelwald killing off werewolves? Any of it ring a bell?" the boy shook their heads. "Honestly, don't you two read?"  
  
They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.  
  
"Pig snout," Harry said. The portrait swung forward and they scrambled into common room.  
  
"How do you know that girl anyways?" Hermione asked. "She doesn't look like she goes to Hogwarts," Harry tried to think of a way to get out of this.  
  
"She goes to Hogwarts," Harry said slowly. Sometimes...  
  
"What house is she in?" Hermione asked. Harry did some quick thinking.  
  
"Hufflepuff," he said. Wait, why was Wood there?  
  
"Harry, I have to talk to you," Wood said in a kind of defeated voice. Harry was going to ask what it was about when Wood grabbed his arm and half-dragged him to a corner of the common room.  
  
"What is it?" Harry asked.  
  
"Slytherin, they say that those dogs that were there--they said that they were planted," Wood said.  
  
"Planted?" Harry asked. "Like we put them there?" he asked.  
  
"Exactly," Wood said. "They're getting a rematch,"  
  
"Rematch?!"  
  
-------------------  
  
A/N: And here ends the Chapter of the Twelfth. Part two is coming soon, it was just too long to put all into one chapter so in less than a week it should be ready.  
  
In the next chapter: Having a Holiday, the Author changes the beginnings of the titles! Christmas rolls around and with it, the arrival of the Wendigos. Some Summer in December, the outcome of the fight (Marlaina Foley vs. Fiona Faoiltiarna), a broken nose, Nicole Ganymede (et al) and Christmas at Hogwarts. Plus, we invite a new muse to the ranks. (Slaith: Who got cut this time?) (Mairi: Not me) (Nori: Definitely not me, though I did get my name changed.)  
  
LONG LIVE AND PROSPER! FREE DVDS TO ALL REVIEWERS!! (And if you fell for that one, I've got a bridge to sell you.)  
  
PS: I got bored and decided to put my tribute to the Series of Unfortunate Events movie into the story. If you look closely, you might find it. 


	13. Having a Holiday

Having a Holiday

"REMATCH?!" Felan asked. He looked at Fi. "This _all _your fault!"

"'Tis not!" Fi retaliated.

"_'Tis too!" _Felan said, mimmicking her.

"SHUT UP!" Fi yelled. "You're the one that dragged me out of that cave!" she said.

"Hey, it's not _my _fault Marlaina's a better fighter with chobos than you," Felan smirked.

"You gave her tips!" Fi yelled.

"You two!" Harry yelled. "Two different corners!" he pointed to two opposite sides of the room and they both marched over obediently. "Okay," Harry said. "Tell me what happened,"

"Felan was referee for me and Marlaina's fight. I saw him leaning over, _whispering _to her before the fight. It was all in High Falutin', and he _knows _I'm not at all proficient in it!" Fi complained.

"Felan?" Harry asked.

"I won't deny it. Fi's been acting like a total _recluse _ever since the big dinner." Felan said.

"I was not!" Fi yelled, turning around.

"You were too! You almost _drowned!" _

"I had it _totally _under control!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Are you two going to shut up or not?!" Harry yelled. The two quieted almost immediately. "Now, Fi, you have been acting strange and I still have no idea why. Felan, you didn't have permission to tell Marlaina about Fi's weaknesses." Harry turned back to Fi. "And Fi, how in hell did you manage to almost drown?" he asked.

"I was thinking,"

Felan scoffed, "A feat for a piece of boiled meat--"

"So when's this rematch then?" Fi asked.

"We need box seats," Felan said.

"It's scheduled for May," Harry said.

"Gee, that's long.." Fi said. Harry looked at her and narrowed his eyes.

"You don't know the months," he said.

"I'm estimating," Fi said. "So, how long until your break?" she asked.

"One more moon," Harry said.

"Ooh, we're going to be gone by then." Felan whispered. Harry looked up at him.

"What?" he asked.

"We're leaving next week," Felan said.

"You can spend Christmas here, right?" Fi asked. "Can't you?" Harry nodded.

"I guess," he said in a whisper.

"It's either here, or with the _Wendigos..._" Felan said. Harry groaned and covered his face with the pillow.

"If it helps, we'll be thinking of you while we eat the ice lollies and play in the warm ocean water." Fi said brightly.

"And that was perhaps the worst thing you could say," Harry said.

"Trust me, she can say worse," Felan said.

"Do I want to know?" Harry asked.

"You really don't," Felan said.

"Stop talking about me as if I'm not here!" Fi said. "What's that noise?" she asked, moving towards the door.

"We're in a dorm, Fi. Perhaps it could be people in the halls?" Felan asked. Fi stuck out her tongue and pressed her ear against the wall by the door and listened.

"Hey, Harry. When are those others getting back?" she asked. Harry was about to answer when the door was flung open, hitting Fi's nose and sending her against the wall.

"Oh, that was so cool! Do it again will you?" Felan said with a smile. Harry looked from under the pillow to see a shocked Seamus standing opposite Fi.

"Gaia!" Fi yelled.

"You all right?" Seamus asked.

"Fine, fine," Fi said. "Pain is a _fine _teacher," she said, holding her nose.

"We'd better get going," Felan said, getting up. "Hey, Harry. Sorry about the whole beach issue."

"We'll send pictures!" Fi said. They grabbed their cloaks and left through the door.

--------------

Winter rolled around and Harry heard the distant sounds of a pack of wolves howling during Quidditch practice. When Professor McGonagall came around with the list for who would stay at Hogwarts over the holidays, Harry signed up first.

Then one morning, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. No one could wait for the holidays to start.

"I do feel sorry," drawled Draco Malfoy during one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home." He looked over at Harry while he spoke. The Slytherins chuckled. Malfoy had--if possible -- gotten even more unpleasant since the Quidditch match. It seemed no one, except for the teams, had been informed that there would be a rematch.

Ron and his brothers were also staying for Christmas, because Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were going to Romania to visit his brother Charlie.

One friday, Harry, Ron and Hermione got a note from Hagrid, asking if they wanted to go for tea that afternoon. Everything seemed perfectly normal that day, well, for a wizarding school. Harry felt himself getting comfortable, it was then that the Laws of Irony (as Dymphna called them) kicked in.

Hagrid was making a pot of strong tea when it happened. Something caught Harry's eye in the window. Something _moving._

"Hey, Hagrid. Can I go have a look at those...watermelons?" Harry asked.

"Oh, sure!" Hagrid said. "Beauties aren' 'dey?" he said.

"I'll be right back," Harry said, he walked out of the hut and shut the door. "Hello?" he asked. A young cub came out from behind the giant watermelons. "I thought so," Harry said. "How do you guys keep ending up here?" he muttered.

"Nicole Ganymede, of the Worchester Wendigo. My mother was Phoenice Demodan of the Black Furies and my father is Xanthus Ganymede," she said.

"Harry Potter, of the Black Forest Fianna." Harry said.

"I've heard of you," Nicole said. "You're the one that goes to the magic school,"

"Who hasn't?" Harry asked. Nicole looked at her shoes.

"I also heard that you were the smartest of your tribe," she said.

"Yeah," Harry sighed dramatically, "That's true too." Nicole kept her eyes on her shoes. "You know," Harry started. "You shouldn't really be out in these parts of the woods," he said. "People might see you,"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Nicole said. "I-I just didn't want to be unpacking so I decided to take a walk."

"Well, there's a pond near the caves. Why don't you go for a swim?" Harry asked. Nicole shook her head.

"No, I don't like water." she said. "I should be leaving now, my kinsmen will be wondering where I got to," Harry watched as the mousy girl, still deeply engrossed in her leather boots, walked back into the forest. Then he turned and walked back into the hut, where Hagrid looked very furious with himself. A few (teeth chipping) rock cakes later, Harry, Hermione and Ron found themselves crossing the lawn once again back to school.

"We found out some things about that three-headed dog," Hermione said casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"What?" Harry asked.

"It has something to do with Nicolas Flamel," Ron said.

"Who's Nicolas Flamel?" Harry asked.

"We don't know," Hermione said.

"I've heard the name before, I'm almost sure." Harry said. When they got back to the common room, Hermione turned right around and started heading back for the portrait hole. 

"Where're you going?" Ron asked.

"I don't know about you two, but I'm going to do some research." Hermione said. "Everything's gotten very interesting all of a sudden," she said. Harry checked his watch. _Aw, damn, twenty minutes till sundown, _he thought. Maybe he could still scribble out a letter to Dymphna.

--------------------

"Damn that stupid, pansy-ass, vicious, chauvenistic bastard!" Dymphna slammed the phone down on the reciever and sighed. Katerina poked her head out of the room.

"Just had a talk with your dad?" she asked.

"He won't buy me another car. And it's not really the time to not give me a car because I'm having a horrible bad hair day along with about the worst late puberty in the world..." Dymphna babbled. Katerina walked out and started rummaging through the ice box for some ice cream. It was almost time for Serial Passions.

"Oh, you're about to get a letter,"

"AAAAAH!"

"Too late," Dymphna swatted the owl out of the window and grabbed the letter.

"NOT THE TIME!" she screamed out of the window, chucking a piece of bread at the bird. The bird caught the bread in it's beak and flew off. Dymphna sighed and counted to ten. "Who's it from?" she asked.

"Harry," Katerina said, changing the channel with the remote. "He wants to know about..." she thought for a moment, "Nicolas Flamel."

"Ole' Nick?" Dymphna chuckled. "He's my dad's client, why wouldn't I know about him?" she asked.

"I think this is one of the things you're supposed to let him find out on his own," Katerina said. Dymphna unfolded the letter and read it.

_Dymphna, _

_Who's Nicolas Flamel?_

_Regards,  
Harry Potter_

_PS: Say hi to Katerina. _

"Harry says hi," Dymphna said. Katerina watched the television.

"I knew that," she said, her eyes not wavering. Dymphna picked up a ball-point pen and wrote down her answer.

_Dear Harry, _

_Why? _

_Happy Xmas,_

_(If you must be formal) Dymphna Habergibb_

_PS: Say hi to your groupies for me. And I know you have them so don't lie._

"Groupies?" Katerina asked.

"Stop that," Dymphna said. "I've grown tired of you're all-seeing, all-knowing-ness."

"I'm not all-knowing," Katerina rolled her eyes.

"As proven by your test scores--"

"And I only see what _they _want me to see," she said. "Once it goes away, I'll be glad."

"You know that it's never going to go away now, right?" Dymphna asked.

"Shut up, Serial Passions is on,"

-----------------------------

The next day, Harry grabbed the letter from Hedwig's beak at the breakfast table.

"Groupies?" he whispered. "Ecksmas?" he asked. Hermione leaned over and read the letter.

"That's _Christmas,_ Harry."

"Oh, I knew that." Harry said.

"Dymphna Habergibb? I know her," Hermione said.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, well, I know her father. He donated a building to my parents," she said.

"And your parents are?..." Ron asked.

"Dentists," Hermione said. "I didn't know Mr. Habergibb's a wizard, he's the leader of a huge Muggle enterprise. My father has some of his shares..."

"Shares?" Ron asked.

"He bought part of the company," Hermione said.

"Can I borrow your quill for a minute, Hermione?" Harry asked. Hermione handed him the quill she was using to write her History of Magic essay with. Harry dipped it into the ink bottle and wrote.

_Dymphna,_

_It's for my History of Magic essay._

No, he crossed that out. In past letters, Dymphna refused to believe that he actually did his homework.

_Dymphna, _

_I'm wanted by the Wizard Mafia, I need help from Nicolas Flamel. _

_Harry._

Ah, yes, that sounded much better. She would believe that. Ron leaned over and read it.

"Wizard mafia?" He asked. "There's no such thing,"

Well there goes that plan. Harry crossed that out and wrote again.

_Dymphna, _

_Are you effing kidding me? Just tell me!_

_Happy Holidays,_

_Harry. _

Now that was something she would respect.

"So you're mailing her for information?" Hermione asked.

"If anyone had the resources to know, she would." Harry said, tying the letter around Hedwig's leg.

"She was always kind of a prissy girl to my understanding," Hermione said.

"Maybe she is, maybe she isn't," Harry said.

"Anyways, I've got to get going." Hermione said, pushing her breakfast plate away. "The train arrives in little less than an hour and I want to do some extra researching," she said. "And I'm sure you two will have plenty of time to research while I'm gone, won't you?" she asked.

"Yes," both boys said grudgingly.

Harry dug through his trunk, trying to find the last remaining vial of Wolfsbane potion. It was only three hours until sundown and it was nowhere to be found, not that he knew where the stock was kept anyways.

"Ron!" Harry yelled, his head buried underneath piles of robes. He emerged and looked at his wristwatch, two hours and fifty-nine minutes...

"What?" Ron asked, currently trying to look for Scabbers.

"Have you seen that vial that was sitting on my trunk?" Harry asked. Ron came out from under the bed.

"You mean that one full of the smoking, funny-colored pumpkin juice?" Ron asked. Harry felt the blood drain from his face.

"That was not pumpkin juice, Ron." he said. "F--"

"Uck!" Fi cursed. "Uck, uck, uck, uck, UCK!" she pulled her leg out of the mud and carried the mixture to Felan and swatted a fly away from his eye. "All righ' there, Rabbity?" Felan opened his eyes.

"I will never eat another whelk again," he said.

"I told you it smelled funny," Fi said. "You never believe me!"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure how a whelk is supposed to smell. Although it was a funny color," Fi stayed quiet as she dipped a ladle into the mixture. "What is it?" Felan asked warily.

"Goats milk and honey. Torra got it special for you,"

"Goats have milk?" Felan asked. "And here I was thinking it was all about the intestines..." 

"Just drink it,"

"You first," Felan said. Fi gulped and drank down the mixture. "That was too fast," Felan said.

"Okay, so it's got a bit of brandy in it." Fi said.

"Oh, definitely then," Felan sat up and rubbed his hands together.

"God, just because your someone's 'best' friend, people expect you to tend for them when they've eaten a rotten whelk." Fi complained as Felan downed the bowl.

"It's your obligation," he said hoarsely.

"Why can't it be someone elses obligation? Like Dee's or Marlaina's?" she asked.

"Marlaina wouldn't be bad," Felan said. Fi hit him on the ear. "Ow! What?"

"YOU FANCY HER!" she yelled.

"I do not!" Felan said. 

"Yes you do, you're positively sickening!" Fi said. She hit him on the ear again.

"No respect for the ill!" Felan said.

"Your faking!" Fi said. "And you do so fancy her," she said.

"Fi!" Fi got up and ran outside. Felan got up, ready to go after her when everything started getting fuzzy and swirly, then everything went black. Fi emerged into the daylight when she saw Torra.

"Did the sleeping powder--"

"Worked like a charm," Fi said through gritted teeth.

"Ugh," Harry woke up to see daylight shining onto him. He felt _horrible._ He had fleeting memories of ramming himself into the wall quite a few times before blacking out last night; and he had the strange suspicion that today was something special. He pulled his pajamas back on and crawled out of the tunnel to the brisk morning daylight. The worst thing a horrible feeling person could see was happy, cheery daylight such as this. When he got back to the dormitory, Ron demanded an explanation.

"Went to go see Hedwig," Harry said. Ron seemed to accept the answer.

"Hey, Harry. Come down, you've got presents." he said, his mouth full of chocolate. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Presents?" he asked. "As in?..."

"Yeah, today's Christmas, Harry! Did you forget?" Yes, he had.

"So, I've got Christmas presents?" Harry asked in astonishment. Ron nodded eagerly and Harry ran to the giant Christmas tree in the common room and sat down.

"This one here looks like it's from Mum, she probably knitted you a Weasley jumper. I always get _maroon._" Harry knew it was wrong, and against one of the holy club codes, but he tuned Ron out as he started digging through the piles of candy rappers (Club Code #45: Never ignore a friend when he or she is talking to you.) He came up with a lumpy package. He tore it open and found a knitted green jumper.

"Excellent!" Harry said, tugging the jumper on over his pajama shirt.

"Here's something else," Ron said, tossing Harry a box. Harry looked all over for a card of any sort before opening the box out of pure curiosity. Out spilled an almost ethereal, silvery cloak.

"The hell?" Harry found a piece of paper tucked in the folds and read it. "You father left this in my possesion just before he died, it's time it was returned to you. Use it well."

"Well go on then, try it on." Ron said. Harry shrugged and pulled the cloak on over himself. He saw Ron's eyes open very wide.

"Whoa!"

"What's wrong?" Harry looked down. There were no curse words that could describe this. The rest of his body had completely disappeared. He took off his glasses to make sure-- yes, it was gone. What the hell happened?

"I know what that it," Ron said. "That's an invisibility cloak!"

"I'm invisible!" Harry said. Oh, this was excellent. Excellent, excellent, excellent.

Harry always prided himself on making the best plans. And he had to say, this plan was..._excellent. _He'd been saying that word a lot today. The Christmas dinner, excellent, Christmas pudding, excellent, his new chess set, excellent. It was all very good. And now, the gift-recieving euphoria had worn off and he was roaming the halls with an invisibility cloak on over his Star Wars pajamas (by popular demand).

He slipped into the library and went directly to the back of the room. The Restricted Section. Possibly the first place they should have checked. He passed rows and rows of books, looking for Nicolas Flamel's name, anywhere.

"Flamel, Flamel, Flamel, Flamel..." Harry murmured, looking through the stacks. Hm...this book looks interesting... No, no, blood covered books are never interesting (Club code #5) or remotely safe. He set the lamp he had been carrying down, took the invisibility cloak off, and looked at the bottom rows of books. He pulled out a large, silvery volume and opened it up.

A piercing, bloodcurdling shriek split the silence.

"The hell?" The book was screaming! Oh, he knew this was a bad idea! How did Ron talk him into this? Harry closed the book and stuffed the book back onto the shelf. He heard footsteps coming down the corridor outside, Filch. Great, this was just getting better and better wasn't it? He grabbed the cloak and threw it over himself. _Leave the lamp, you do NOT need the lamp! _he chided himself inwardly. But it was pitch dark without it. Oh well. Suddenly he heard a meow behind him and accidently knocked over the lamp. Guess that was out.

Harry ran out of the library and narrowly missed running into Filch. Hey, look, it was Snape...and Quirrell... Snape was holding Quirrell up in a very "give me your lunch money" manner and talking to him in a low voice. Harry backed into an unused classroom and shut the door quietly and locked it. He took the cloak off and panted, this just reminded him on how little exercise he was getting. He was probably fat too.

It was a few seconds before Harry really started to look around the room and finally noticed the big mirror leaning against the wall. He raised an eyebrow and started towards the mirror. He looked up at the top and saw an inscription.

_Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_

"What is that? French?" Harry asked himself. He looked in the mirror and was surprised to see at least ten others looking back at him. He looked behind him. No one was there. Then he looked in the mirror again. People. A woman was standing behind him with bright green eyes. Harry's eyes. Harry's mother? And a tall man next to her with untidy hair, just like Harry's, and glasses. Harry blinked and rubbed his eyes to make sure he was really seeing this. He stood there for a while, just looking at the people in the mirror, his family. This was crazy.

--------

**A/N: Okay, yes, the end of this chapter here. Hope you all liked it. PS: This is the first ever time that Fi and Felan have really 'separated' in the story. Fi poisons Felan and leaves him behind (to some degree). It took a while to get this chapter out, for a while there I was without bunny (as in the plot). Ah, yes, and we bring a new muse to our ranks.**

**(Nori: Who is it?)**

**Her name is Clio and she's an actual muse.**

**(Clio: The hell...?)**

**I kidnapped her from Greece.**

**(Slaith: That's a hell of a long way for a story.)**

**Yeah, well I wanted some gyros. So anyways, enough with me having a chat with the muses in my head. IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**Having a fight: The author speeds through the rest of Christmas break, Fi pays a little visit to Hogwarts (but not exactly to see Harry), Felan pays a little visit to Hogwarts (to see Harry) and Mafalda Caolaidhe (guess where I got the name from,).**

**COOKIES AND MILK TO ALL REVIEWERS!!! Make me a happy writer, review.**

**PS: Oh yes, about the Series of Unfortunate events movie. I think they're only releasing it in America right now (maybe maybe not). But I think it's going to be good. And the tribute was when Felan accidently shoved Violet who was carrying ribs out of the way. Yes, stupid tribute, I know. And if you look closely in this chapter, theres a bit more (Slaith: Stupid, painful) foreshadowing to be seen. But it's really out of the way in there.**


	14. Having a Fight

Having a Fight

"I can't believe you didn't tell me!" Ron said. "Selfish," he said.

"I am not selfish, it was just a little weird. Wouldn't you be a little scared if you saw your parents in a mirror?" Harry asked. Ron was about to answre when Harry said, "Dead parents, Ron."

"Oh, well then, yeah I guess I would get a bit scared." Ron said.

"I thought so," Harry said. They entered the Great Hall where everyone was chatting to eachother about their first day back from holiday.

"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked.

"Probably in the library," Harry said. "She's still absolutely obsessed with finding out who Nicolas Flamel is,"

"Hey look!" Ron said, pointing at the window. Hedwig flew into the Great Hall and landed on the table. "I think your owl's a bit off," Ron said. Harry took the wet letter from Hedwig's beak and she flew off again. "Well then, what's it say?" Ron asked.

"It's from Dymphna," Harry said.

_Harry, _

_I'm currently writing this from my father's yaht out in the Mediteranian. Crap, did I spell that right? Let me try again. Mederteranian. Oh well. I'll look it up when I get home. Anyways..._

_My father lent us his yaht because he didn't give me a car because Katerina totalled my the 'Stang. I can't believe she did that. Do you know how much that baby cost? And it was working perfectly too! But Katerina had to go and _(something was crossed off several times here) _total it! So, on other topics. How's school? Learning all sorts of new and interesting stuff, right? No? Okay then. _

_Oh, right. You wanted to know about Nicolas Flamel? Okay then. He's an alkemist, of Philosifers Stone renown. Did some work with Albus Dumbledore too. _

_  
I've got to go, they're serving caviar in the gallie...no, no, galley. That's it, galley. _

_Dymphna._

_PS: Katerina's currently a bit depressed, she took over the kitchens and baked cookies (with tiny chocolates) for fourteen hours. I think she needs a therapist. _

"Okay, I've got it." Harry said. "Nicolas Flamel is a noted alchemist who made the Philosopher's Stone!" he said.

"How did she know that?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged.

"Dunno but she's got shoddy spelling," he said. "Come on, we've got to go tell Hermione!"

"What's the big deal? She's just a bit angry,"

"A bit angry? A bit ANGRY?"

"Okay, okay. So she's not 'just a bit angry',"

"Mafalda, I don't think you truly understand where I'm coming from." Felan said. Seated across from him was his cousin Mafalda who was sitting with her hands folded tightly in her lap and her faded green eyes shut tightly.

"Okay, tell me then." Mafalda said.

"So she accuses me of liking Marlaina--"

"The Foley girl, Felan? I thought you knew better than to like her while you're still friends with Fi." Mafalda said.

"That's not the point," Felan said.

"Fine," Mafalda sighed. "Go on,"

"So she randomly accuses me of fancying Marlaina and then she poisons me and walks out! Okay, maybe not in that order but..."

"It's a typical girl thing, Felan. You have nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about? Nothing to worry about?"

"So you like the redheaded tart then?" Mafalda asked.

"Well, her hair's not really red. It's more a darker tone--"

"That's a yes then,"

"When did I say yes?" Felan asked.

"Well, aside from the fact that the last time I saw you, you were still refering to her as 'that Foley girl', and that you have her pictured in your head now-- you're smitten." Mafalda said.

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

"I am not going to get into this with you!" Felan said. "I'm going to go see Harry!"

"Harry? I haven't seen him in a while, can I come?" Mafalda asked getting up.

"No! You stay here!" Mafalda huffed and stomped her foot as he left the cave. When he was a good distance away, she started talking, "You can come out now, Fi." she said. She heard the older girl walk towards her and sit down.

"I told you so," Fi said.

"You didn't tell me anything." Mafalda said.

"Yes, but I'd like to think I did."

"And you were wrong with her hair color too," Mafalda said.

"It's not my fault," Fi whined. "It was Dee who specified for me."

"What color're my eyes, Fi?" Mafalda asked, opening her eyes. Fi looked hard at Mafalda's eyes.

"Blue?" she asked uncertainly.

"Will you two stop messing around?" Wood yelled. All practice, Fred and George had been dive-bombing each other and pretending to fall off of their brooms. "You see, this is the kind of thing that's going to lose us the match! Snape'll look for anything to knock points off of us!" George really did fall off of his broom this time.

"_Snape's _refereeing?" he asked through a mouthful of mud. Wood nodded.

"It's not my fault," he said. "We've just got to play a clean game, so Snape hasn't got an excuse to pick on us."

"Please, Snape always has an excuse to pick on us!" Harry complained. _Or at least me..._

"If we play a good game, then it won't matter if he picks on us or not!" Wood said. After practice, Harry rushed back to Gryffindor common room where he found Ron and Hermione playing chess.

"What's the matter with you? You look terrible!" Ron said. Speaking very quietly, so no one else could hear, Harry told them all about what Wood had told the team.

"Don't play," Hermione said at once.

"Say you're ill," Ron said.

"Pretend to have an injury," Hermione suggested.

"Really have an injury," said Ron.

"I can't," Harry said. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all."

They won the game, in almost record time too. Harry suspected it was because there weren't any... outside influences, but either way, they still showed Snape. He left the field, white faced and mad looking and made his way up to the school.

Harry hurried to Gryffindor tower to send a letter to Dymphna telling her about his win. He ran to his room and dug a quill and roll of parchment out from his bookbag, then flopped on his bed and started writing.

_Dymphna,_

_Mediterranean is how I think you spell it. Not too sure though. _

_I won a Quidditch match in FIVE MINUTES, how great is that? I'm going to try for four minutes next time. Write me back and send more mars bars, I need to celebrate. _

_Harry._

Eh, he would send it off later...but he wanted Mars bars now, but it could wait he guessed. He looked out the window and saw a cloaked figure running off into the woods. Interesting. He decided to follow the person before they ran off. He grabbed the Nimbus 2000, opened the window and went off on it, slamming the window shut behind him. The figure entered a clearing in the forest where Professor Quirrell was sitting on a rock, that ridiculous purple turban wrapped around his head, looking paler than usual. Harry glided toward the tallest tree and landed noislessly in the leaves. He hung on to one of the branches with his legs and swung upside down to hear better.

"...d-don't know why you'd want t-t-to meet me here of all p-places, Severus." Uh oh, the blood was rushing to Harry's head, would it have hurt to have thought this through more? But he couldn't get up now, they would here him.

"I thought we'd keep this private," this sounded dodgy. "Students aren't supposed to know..." about what? Harry wondered. "About the Philosopher's stone," Oh thank Gaia. Harry grabbed a branch right below him and swung his legs over so that he could sit comfortably; facing the other side, but still comfortably.

"Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?" asked Snape.

"B-b-but Severus, I--"

"You don't want me as your enemy Quirrell," Snape said.

"I don't know what y-you--"

"You know perfectly well what I mean," Harry idly picked off a leaf and started shredding it to little bits as he listened.

"B-b-but I don't--"

"Very well," Snape cut in. "We'll have another little chat later, when you've had time to think things over and decide where your loyalties lie." Harry heard him walk out of the clearing. Guess he'd have a little more to add to that letter.

"Harry, where have you been?" Hermione squeaked.

"We won! You won! We won!" Ron shouted. "And I gave Malfoy a black eye!"

"Nevermind that now," Harry said breathlessly. "We have to find an empty room, wait until you here this." He made sure Peeves wasn't in the room before he shut the door and told them everything he'd heard.

"So we're right," Hermione started. "It is the Philosophers' Stone and Snape is trying to steal it!"

"But there must be other things besides Fluffy," Ron said. "Spells and the like,"

"And Quirrell must know how to get past some of them," Harry said.

"So you're saying, as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape, the stone is safe?" Hermione asked.

"It'll be gone by next Tuesday." Ron said. On their way out of the room, Harry saw Fi, but she didn't seem to be looking for him at all, so he continued on to the common room. Then he was roughly pulled into a broom closet.

"Harry!" it was Felan.

"Felan, start being more careful!" Harry whispered harshly. "My friends are outside,"

"Sorry," Felan said. "I need help. Fi's not talking to me,"

"That's an oddity," Harry deadpanned. "Listen, I really need to get--"

"No, listen. She won't even stay in the same room with me! And Mafalda's not being any sort of sympathetic to my cause,"

"Mafalda's there?" Harry asked. "How'd she get from Shannon to the caves without me knowing?"

"Dunno, anyways. Help, please talk to her?" Felan asked.

"Don't you have other friends?" Harry asked, shifting so he wasn't being poked by a broom.

"Yeah, but--"

"Talk to them and then Fi will eventually get bored with not talking to you and start talking to you like nothing ever happened again." Harry advised.

"Hm," Felan thought about that for a moment. "That's a good idea." he said. "I'm done, you can go." Harry nodded and opened the door to the broom closet. Hermione and Ron were standing outside, twin expressions of confusion on their face.

"Erm... that... spider on me," Harry said. "Had to squish it but then it went all wonky and pushed me?"

------

**A/N: Yes, as explained before, Harry isn't as quick a story-thinker-upper as Fi is. And FYI, Mafalda _is _blind, which is why her eyes are kind of blank and faded, but her hearing and nose work well enough. Nothing much to say about this chapter, one of the hardest ones to get out though.**

**IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!: Having to Explain, Harry is a werewolf? Gasp! Shock! The Fianna celebrate Imbolc (huge party and everyone drinks themselves into a semi-coma), Harry sends a hypothetical letter to Dymphna, and Harry skives off.**

**MILK AND COOKIES TO ALL REVIEWERS! PS: No chapter until hm...45 reviews. that shouldn't be so hard.**


	15. Having to Explain

Having to Explain

There are times where you'd rather be somewhere else, anywhere but where you're standing (or sitting, crouching, walking, crawling) at the moment. An extremely tedious, boring class would be one of those times when you'd like to be in a sunny Hawaiian-esque island paradise being waited on hand and foot (perhaps a drink with an umbrella in your hand). Then there are the bad times, that, thought they may not be very life threatening situations, you'd still rather be between the jaws of a fiery dragon than there. Harry was having one of those times.

"Harry, I'm having trouble believing that a spider pushed you into the closet," Hermione said.

"Well believe what you want to, I'm sticking to my story." Harry said.

"Harry, friends don't lie to eachother," Hermione said. "And I thought we were friends," _Oh great, _thought Harry, _another club code to remember._

"Yeah, what's really going on with you?" Ron asked. "It has something to do with that funny pumpkin juice, doesn't it? I knew it!" he said.

"It's nothing!" Harry said. "I swear! Just forget about it!" he looked around for a distraction. "Hey, there's Hagrid! I'm going to ask him a question," he said.

"Fine," Hermione said. "But this isn't over--"

"Hagrid!" Harry yelled. "Hagrid!" he ran up to Hagrid.

"Oh, hello Harry," Hagrid said.

"What're those books for?" Harry asked, looking at the books Hagrid had in his hands. "_Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland_? _From Egg to Inferno, a Dragon Keeper's Guide_?" he asked.

"Nothing," Hagrid said, putting the books in his other hand. "So, how've you been Harry?" he asked.

"Fine, you?" Harry asked.

"A'right," Hagrid said. "So, I'd better get going. Got...erm...I've got things to do,"

"Okay then," Harry said. He watched as his only distraction walked away.

"So what did he say?" Hermione asked. Harry spun around, surprised.

"Erm... he said yeah," Harry said. "He was carrying books about dragons though, isn't that strange?" he asked. Hermione nodded and looked to the left.

"Who's that girl over there?" she asked. "I've never seen her around?" Harry turned around and saw Marlaina looking around. Did all of the Fianna have an off day today or what?

"Probably a Ravenclaw or something," Harry said. "So where's Ron?" he asked.

"He went to dinner," Hermione said. "We're supposed to meet him there." she said.

"Actually, I have something to do," Harry said. "I think I've got a bit of a fever, you know?" he asked. Hermione nodded.

"Sure," she said stiffly. She walked off to the Great Hall and Harry watched her round the corner. He was in trouble now.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv (yes this is a line, get used to it)

"Ohh, you're in trouble now," Fi said. She dropped the pencil and blew on her fingers for a second, before picking it back up and making several lines on a piece of paper.

"You've thought of ways to get me out of things before," Harry said. Fi nodded.

"I have," she said, still concentrating on what she was drawing.

"So you think you can help?" Harry asked. Fi shrugged.

"Well, I've really got nothing better to do with my somber Imbolc," she said. When Harry had returned to the caves, he found all of the tribe gone. Save for Fi, who was in the nursery watching the babies. Then he remembered it was Imbolc, and Fi told him that earlier that week Trey had kicked her kneecap in during a fight, rendering her unable to walk.

"So what do you think I should do?" he asked.

"Pray to the heathen gods and hope they forget," she said.

"I'm serious!" Harry said. Fi sighed.

"The only way you're going to get out of this is to tell them. You're wizard friends aren't dumb, they're going to realize when you're trying to drop the subject and pester you even more about it, Harry." She said.

"I hate it when you're right," Harry said. "Can I lie?" he asked.

"Lying isn't nice," Fi said. Harry sighed.

"This is too hard," he said.

"Just...keep away from the subject as long as possible, and then when you really have to tell them, make them promise that they won't tell anyone." Fi said.

"Like that'll stop them," Harry said.

"It will if they're truely Gryffindors," she said. "Anyways, I'm hungry. Have you got anything on you?" she asked. Harry dug in his pocket and took out a half-eaten Mars Bar.

"Enjoy," he said, tossing it to her.

"Ooh, chocolate," Fi cooed, grabbing the bar and unwrapping the rest of it.

"Did Marlaina go to Hogwarts yesterday?" Harry asked. Fi shrugged.

"I'll ask Dee," she said. "Why?" she asked, suddenly suspicious.

"I saw her," Harry said.

"Well then apparently she was there. Dunno why though," Fi said.

"Yeah, well, thanks for the advice," Harry said.

"You're just going to leave me here?" Fi asked. "Stay! I'm bloody bored sitting by me onesy!" she growled.

"Fine, fine," Harry said. "But only until the others come back, okay?" he asked. Fi nodded.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Harry woke up in the nursery a few hours later. He looked around groggily but didn't see anyone.

"Oh, hi Harry," someone said. Harry turned to see Lorilla, a fostern, holding one of the babies. "Fancy seeing you here,"

"What time is it?" He asked.

"Almost noon," she said.

"Noon?!" he yelled. "I've got to get back to school!" he said. Harry jumped up and ran out of the room outside. Several people were milling about, most of them clutching their heads and grimacing painfully.

"Oh, hello Harry. Thought you'd already left," Harry saw Felan walking up to him with a small tabby cat in his hands.

"Felan, is it really noon?" Harry asked.

"Just about, yeah," Felan said. "I'm sure you could still make it to your classes if you run,"

"I don't know, what if someone sees me coming out of the forest?" Harry asked. "And...what's with the cat?"

"Oh, this?" Felan asked. "Saw 'er walking around in the clearing, thought it'd make a nice 'I'm sorry' present for Fi... though I'm still not exactly sure why she got so mad," he said.

"It's a girl thing," Harry said. "Anyways, I thought it was Marlaina who liked cats,"

"It is, but I thought that was a girl thing too." Felan said. "Anyways, I've got to go teach cat here how to meow on cue so Fi won't be able to give her back. She's always a sucker for things like that," he said.

"Good luck," Harry said. Felan nodded and walked off into one of the caves. Harry sat down against one of the cave walls. "What am I going to _do_?" he said outloud.

"About what?" asked a voice. Harry looked up and saw Mafalda, much older than last time he saw her, but still it was her. "Howya Harry,"

"You're good at giving advice right?" he asked. Mafalda shrugged.

"Am I?" she asked. Yes, yes she was.

"Sit," Harry said. Mafalda sat down next to him.

"So, what'cher problem?" she asked.

"My... other two friends are on the very edge of finding out I'm a werewolf, and I slept too much and ended up missing class. I can't go back because someone might see me coming out of the forest," he explained.

"Hm... about your two friends, I'd say you'd just have to tell them the truth sooner rather than later. And about you skiving off--"

"I did not skive off!" Harry said.

"Right, so about that. I'd say that you live it up while your here and return at sunrise," Mafalda said. "By the way, what color are my eyes?" she asked.

"Green,"

"Thought so," she said. "What color are Felan's eyes?"

"Blue," Harry said.

"Explains it. And Dubheasa?" she asked. Harry thought for a moment, he hadn't seen Felan's mum in a while but her eyes were a really different color.

"Sort of a greenish hazel," Harry said.

"What's hazel?" Mafalda asked.

"Like a brownish sorta," Harry said.

"And Blair's?" Mafalda asked.

"His're blue too," Harry said. There was silence for a few moments before Harry broke it. "Were you at Imbolc?" he asked. Mafalda nodded.

"Sure I couldn't see anything, but it was fun," she said. "I heard that Maeve got mad at Bryon and broke his arm,"

"She does tend to get mad a lot," Harry said. "So, how've you been?" he asked.

"Fine. Aibhlin was being such a mary hick about me coming to the black forest again," Aibhlin was Felan's aunt, but not Mafalda's mother. Harry learned never to try and understand exactly how that family worked. For example, Felan's uncle was _not _Mafalda's uncle, but a very distant cousin of hers; and Dubheasa, Felan's mother, was Aibhlin's cousin by blood, but not related to Mafalda or any of the other Caolaidhes.

"Mary hick?" Harry asked.

"Old fashioned," Mafalda explained. "She doesn't like me taking the boat here because she says it's too far," she said. "Anyways, I'm going in for some cha, want to come?" she asked.

"Tea? No," Harry said. He'd never been a big fan of tea, even though everyday at about four o' clock for the past six years, Dubheasa had force-fed him tea and crumpets.

"Okay then," Mafalda said. She was about to walk away when she stopped. "Harry," she said.

"Yeah?"

"Maybe before you go, you should try to figure out what you've been trying to figure out. It's a better use of your time than sitting there like an eejit and foostering," she said.

"What?" Harry asked. He didn't exactly know what an 'eejit' was, or what 'foostering' meant, but he sure it was something bad. "Try to figure out what I've been trying to?" he asked himself. Of course that would be, why would Snape steal the Philosopher's Stone, but how could he try to figure out that? And it was then that Hedwig landed in front of Harry with a package, giving him an idea.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

"Fi!" Harry ran into the cave. "Do you have a school box?" he asked. Fi grabbed a metal box from beside her and threw it at Harry without looking up from what she was drawing. Luckily, Harry caught it before it hit his face. "Thanks," he said.

"Bye," she said distantly. Harry ran back out from the room and opened the school box, it was full of papers (half of them were pages full of handwriting practice), worn down pencils and a small red sharpener. Harry took out a blank paper and a pencil and started to write the letter.

_Dymphna,_

_If you had the chance to get the Philosopher's stone, why would you get it? Why would anyone want to steal it? _

_Harry._

_PS: Thanks for the Mars Bars. _

He put the pencil back into the box and gave the letter to Hedwig.

"Make sure it gets to Dymphna, all right?" he asked. Hedwig hooted and flew off. Harry looked back at the box and opened it again, he took out one of the pages that Fi had written on and looked at it. She never was a good handwriter, she didn't even know which hand the pencil _went _in. So then why was she so concentrated on drawing?

"Harry," Harry looked up to see Fi. "I need my box," she said.

"Oh," Harry handed Fi the metal box and she hopped back into the cave. A few seconds later she hopped back over to where he was sitting.

"By the way, there's still some fairy brew in the storage if your thirsty," Fi said.

"It's okay, I'm fine," Harry said. Fi shrugged.

"Your choice," she said, and went back in. Actually, now that he thought about it, Harry hadn't had a good drink in a long time. But, he had to figure out why Snape wanted the stone. Yes, the stone, that was the primary thought here.

"Hey, Harry, want to see the cat do a flip?" Felan asked, running up to Harry with the small tabby cat in his hands. The stone could wait.

vvvvvvvvvvvvv

A/N: And that's where the chapter's going to end for now. Sorry! Anyways, since I've got about ten minutes until I have to go and upload this, I'll give you this little tidbit of a future chapter, not the NEXT chapter, but a future chapter... (PS: the '...'s mean there's something after that part but you can't see it until the actual chapter comes out).

_Over the next few months, several odd things happened around Hogwarts. Some of them horrible, but most just odd. _

_Firstly, Harry began to see..._

_A few days after that, a series of robberies occured. Several robes, vests, trousers and trainers were reported missing in Gryffindor tower. Harry found a pair of Nikes gone from his own trunk. McGonagall warned the students that whoever was doing this would be punished unless they came forward with their loot...._

_Several students reported fights, but when a teacher went to see, there was nothing there. These students got detentions and points off. _

_It was rumored that it was simply a large influx of new ghosts; slightly violent, fun-loving wraiths that snipped people's hair off and played with the ... And then the bad things started to happen, all of the owls... Norbert got... and somebody started messing with the portraits. The best thing out of all of this, was that someone ransacked Snape's office and classroom, forcing all of the students to skip Potions for two weeks as he tried to get everything in order again. _

_And then Harry figured out what was going on._

PS: Sorry about those 'vvvvv's, FF just isn't working with my format right now so until I find a less annoying solution, you'll be seeing those in the scene/time/thingy changes. Okay?

PLEASE REVIEW!!! No chapter until...55 reviews, that should be pretty easy.


	16. Something Strange

Something Strange

"Why isn't he back yet?" Hermione asked as Ron dug through Harry's trunk.

"Dunno, just keep looking out for him," Ron said. Hermione shrugged and looked out the window again.

"He left yesterday, he _should_ be back by now," she said again.

"Hm, what's this," Ron tugged a chain from the bottom of the trunk and it came up with a small crescent attached to it. "Harry wears jewelry," he said.

"No he doesn't, let me have a look at that," Ron tossed the chain over his head and it landed at Hermione's feet.

"I'm going to keep looking," he said. Hermione picked up the necklace.

"I've never seen this before," she said, holding it up to the light. "It's pretty. Why would Harry have it?" Ron shrugged.

"Everything seems in order here. Books, clothes, papers..." he thought for a moment. "Letters!"

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Letters, he never throws away the letters from that 'Dymphna' person," Ron said. He continued looking through the trunk until he came upon a small stack of letters. "Here they are," he said.

"Let's see then," Hermione said. Ron brought the letters to the bed and gave half to Hermione. After a few minutes of looking through the letters, Ron put them down.

"Moot," he said.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"There's nothing, it's all moot," Ron said.

"No, that's in one of the letters!" Hermione said. She looked through the pile again and picked one up. "It says, _'Hippolyta Foley-- a Black Fury from Worchester-- made a big appearence at the moot. She's the Alpha Female of the Black Furies, I'm sure you've heard of her, right? Krischnan says that the Get Alpha is trying to get in good with her, to no avail.'_" Hermione said.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ron asked.

"Alpha Female is a term used for wolf packs Ron," Hermione said. "I have to do some research. Fix the room," she said. Ron looked at the room, he had made a bit of a mess.

12345678 (yes, another improvisation for a line)

"I think I liked you more when you were gone in the head," Mafalda said. "Well, I liked your room a lot better, now it smells like the jacks,"

"Do you have a reason to be here, Mafalda?" Fi asked.

"Seriously, the place is a tip. You ought to clean it up," Mafalda said.

"No," Fi said stubbornly. "Now lay off,"

"Why _were _you mad?" Mafalda asked.

"I was _not _mad," Fi said.

"Why did your room smell clean then?" Mafalda asked.

"Because I cleaned it, why is everyone so surprised about that? Keavy right had a heartattack and Felan thought I was sick," she said, blowing on something. There were more scratching sounds.

"You're drawing again?" Mafalda asked.

"Lay off,"

"Have you eaten yet?"

"No,"

"Not even breakfast?"

"Go away,"

"It's the most important meal of the day,"

"Out," Fi said. Mafalda heard her tap the pencil against the floor. She copyed the sounds with her fingers. Fi tapped her pencil again, and Mafalda copied the sounds again. Then she heard Fi jump up. "I'm going to get a drink, don't touch anything." Mafalda waited a few seconds until the footsteps were gone, and then got up and followed the smell of led to a stack of papers. She grabbed a few and ran off to Felan's cave.

"Felan!" she yelled.

"What do you want?" Felan asked. Mafalda sniffed.

"Is Harry here too?" she asked.

"Yeah," Harry said.

"See what you can make of them," Mafalda dropped the papers on the floor and heard some scurrying.

"What are they?" Harry asked.

"Fi's drawings," Mafalda said. "I took them just now,"

"You're brave in a way I will never know," Felan said. "Sit," Mafalda sat down and felt something furry sit paw her knee.

"_Felan_,"

"Don't worry, it's just a cat," Felan said. Mafalda sighed in relief.

"You know, I've always wondered, there're plenty of colour crayons in the storage room. Why doesn't she ever use those?" Felan asked. There was silence in which Mafalda concluded that Harry must have shrugged. Then someone rang a bell from the other side of the caves.

"What's that?" Mafalda asked.

"Oh my god," Harry said. "Does that mean what I think it does?" he asked. Felan nodded solemnly.

"Harry, you watch the cat. I have to go to class," he said. "Wait a second, you're here too. That means you have to go to _your _classes as well," Felan said.

"Well, I've forgotten what class we have now," Harry said.

"Tough luck, it's Special Training," Felan said. "You're going to be a Theurge right? So aren't you with Old Tumbles?" he asked.

"Fine, I'm coming," Harry said. "Don't you go to classes too, Mafalda?" he asked.

"Only in Shannon," she said. "I'll watch the cat here,"

Two hours later, Harry walked back from 'Special Training'. His eyes wide and his brain overloaded, the four others in his class were in the same state. He suddenly felt pity for Fi, who was a Philodox and was probably still being taught by Toliver Wheedin, who was known for being very rough on his students.

"Howya, Harry," Harry turned around, fully expecting to see Mafalda. It wasn't Mafalda, but Fi.

"Been spending a little too much time with Mafalda?" he asked.

"She grows on you," Fi said. _Something's different about her_, said a voice in Harry's head. She was talking more and more like Mafalda everyday but there was something else that he couldn't put his finger on...

"Did you change your hair?" he asked. That was it, the hair. There was something about her hair.

"No," she said curtly. "How could I change my hair?"

"Dunno, just seems... different," Harry said. "Have you forgiven Felan yet?" he asked.

"No," she said. "Don't plan to for a while,"

"Do you remember what you got in a fight over?" Harry asked. Fi shrugged. That meant no.

"I don't like remembering things like those," she said. "So I forget,"

"What--"

"I've got to go... laundry," Fi said quickly, she walked away almost before she stopped talking.

"But SHE never does laundry," Felan said, when Harry told him. Felan was still shuffling through the papers that Mafalda stole.

"I know," Harry said.

"God forbid she starts _cooking_," Felan said.

"She was cooking though," Mafalda said. Felan jumped back at the sound of her voice.

"Where'd you come from?" he asked.

"Do you have a _cold _or something? I walked in five minutes ago!" Mafalda said. Felan looked towards Harry.

"Really?" he whispered to Harry. Harry nodded.

"Thought you knew," he said. He turned to Mafalda. "She's started cooking?" he asked.

"Three days ago. I just thought she was hungry, true I've never heard her cook before..."

"No one has," Felan said. "She always managed to avoid her chores,"

"She did manage to get sick at convenient times," Harry said.

"Mostly though, all she does is draw," Mafalda said. Felan raised his eyebrows as he looked at one picture.

"Look at this," he said, handing the paper to Harry.

"What is it?" Mafalda asked.

"It's a big black cloak from what I can see," Harry said. "Only it's standing,"

"And it's got a tree branch for a hand," Felan said. "Looks like one of your kind of creatures,"

"If it is a magical thing, I've never seen it before." Harry said. "I'll take it to Hermione, see if she knows what it is," Harry heard Mafalda snort. "_What?_" he asked.

"Probably doesn't have the brain capacity to remember," Mafalda said. Felan looked at her.

"What _are _you talking about?" he asked. He narrowed his eyes. "You know something we don't,"

"Tell us," Harry said. Mafalda shrugged.

"I just don't think that this is what we're supposed to be focusing on here," she said.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Exactly what I said," Mafalda said. "After all, Beltane's coming up and we need to get things done, so we're ready." Felan sighed.

"Listen, bowsie, I'm flah'ed out of you doddering around like this," Felan said. "And I don't fancy milling an eight year old, so tell us what'cher on about," Mafalda got up and pointed down at... the spot about a foot away from Felan.

"I will in me ring, puss face!" she yelled, and walked out.

"What was that about?" Harry asked, after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. Felan scowled.

"She's been hanging around spewing nonsense since she got here, it's annoying," Felan said. "Mentaller," he growled. "So now, we've got to decipher what Mafalda said-- knowing her it was something important--, teach Miss Kitty how to bow and--"

"Where is the cat?" Harry asked. Felan bowed his head.

"Oh god,"

"I'm heading back to school," Harry said. "People might start to worry," he said.

"Yeah, and I'll look for the pussy," Felan said.

12345678

When Harry got back to Hogwarts, it was already getting dark. He decided to skip dinner and head up to his room for some sleep, when he got up there he saw Ron jump and shove something under his bed. 

"Hi, Ron," Harry said. "Have a nice day?"

"Where were you today?" Ron asked. Harry gulped. The spider story would _not _work in this situation.

"Had a touch of influenza, went down to Madam Pomfrey's for a Pepper-up Potion," he said. "And then I went to... visit Hedwig,"

"Oh," Ron said. There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence before someone knocked on the door.

"Come in," Harry said. Hermione burst into the room with a big book in her hands.

"I've figured it out!" she said happily. She saw Harry and then quieted. "I've figured out what's wrong with you," she said.

12345678

A/N: Okay, trying out a new border thing. (evil fanfiction dot net) I didn't really like the way this chapter turned out, but I was supposed to write it in last chapter and... forgot. So.... And arrives the final chapters, in which I actually start naming them things in which there are no "Being"s or "Having"s. Be happy. I'm not too happy with this chapter's name but oh well. About Mafalda: just to say this, she IS blind and she will STAY blind (none of that "wee! I can see!" stuff), and like Felan said, she's been hanging around and being annoying a lot (Nori: This is important). Her eyes are not uber-important (a la Lily Evans/Harry Potter connection) seeing as how she doesn't use them, and she is not related to Harry in some strange way (only to Felan). IN the next chapter!:

Harry's secret is revealed (Slaith: Finally), and we skip several months in one chapter. Beltane arrives, Mafalda finally leaves (and she won't be back for the whole story) and Boots meets Drunkard (explained in the next chapter) Also in the next chapter: The Black Furies arrive! And they sneer. And sneer. And act superior to the men... So, pleeeeeease review! I'm still hoping for 55 by at least the end of the story.

COOKIES AND MILK TO ALL REVIEWERS! (Or cheese and crackers, whichever one suits your fancy)

PS: (Oh come on, you knew I was going to do one) I still need people (with names preferably) for the next chapter. There's going to be a large influx of characters that I need to name and I'm running thin.


	17. Beltane

Beltane

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Well, there was something that just stuck out about the name Foley, like I said, and I was looking for any records of someone with the last name in the library but I couldn't find any. So I started looking in the history books and I found it," Hermione said. "Juliet Amaretto Foley was the Alpha Female of the Minsk Black Furies who went to trial for massacring fifty people who had ventured into their forest," she said. "And I came to the conclusion that the girl who was mailing you must be a werewolf to know Hippolyta Foley who is the Alpha Female of some Black Fury tribe--"

"You've been reading my letters?" Harry asked.

"Wait until I'm finished," Hermione said. "So then I was looking up current werewolves but no Foleys, no Habergibbs and no Potters came up on the list which made me redirect the whole thing entirely. I started looking up everything related to werewolves and I found that a lot of werewolves refer to their breed as Garou, and I also found the twelve tribes of Garou,"

"You just found all of this now?" Ron asked.

"No, it's been a work in progress. But that's not the point. Harry, tell me the twelve tribes of werewolves," she said. Harry avoided looking at her directly.

"I don't know," he said.

"Friends don't lie, Harry," Hermione said slowly. There was another uncomfortable silence before Harry gave in.

"Thirteen," he said. "Fianna, Bone Gnawers, Get of Fenris, Black Furies, Uktena, Wendigo, Red Talons, Glass Walkers, Silver Fangs, Silent Striders, Children of Gaia, Shadow Lords, and," he ticked them off on his fingers, "Stargazers,"

"And the person who founded the Stargazers?" Hermione asked.

"Klaital Starcatcher," Harry said.

"So you're a werewolf?" Ron asked with a look of horror on his face. 

"Where's your tribe?" Hermione asked.

"In the forbidden forest," Harry said. "And they've been... walking around school a bit too," Hermione eyed him warily.

"So you've been living the the forbidden forest?" she asked.

"Yes," Harry said.

"Do you eat," Ron gulped, "humans?"

"That's true, don't werewolves like eating humans?" Hermione asked. Harry shuddered.

"You'd have to have gone mad to want to eat a human," he said. "They're disgusting. Once the Alpha male of the Red Talons brought some dead Muggles to a moot, and me and Felan had a taste and they tasted," he shuddered again. "I never want to eat one again,"

"So you've eaten humans before?" Ron asked. "Can you eat Malfoy?"

"Sorry, no," Harry said. "You cannot tell anybody about this either," he said.

"Well we have to tell Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said. "And you're not even registered, you really should be--"

"Dumbledore already knows," Harry said. "And I don't even know what 'registered' _means_, Hermione,"

"He already knows and he let you come to school?" Ron asked in disbelief.

"It's not like it's a big problem," Harry said. "So once a month I get a bit furry is all. Not like I'm going to _hurt _anybody,"

"But you might," Hermione said. "When you're... when you're in wolf form--"

"Chronos," Harry corrected. Hermione hesitated.

"Right," she said. "Well, when you're like that-- you can't control what you're doing. You could eat someone and not even realize it what you did in the morning,"

"Except I wouldn't eat a person because they taste disgusting," Harry said. "But, _please_ do not tell anyone," he said. Ron shrugged.

"Just as long as you don't attack me," he said. Harry looked towards Hermione who had her arms crossed and a defiant look on her face.

"Fine, but you have to get registered," she said.

"But if he gets registered than everyone will know that he's a werewolf!" Ron said. "And he won't be able to go to Hogwarts and he'll have no life!" Hermione sighed.

"Fine, he doesn't have to then!" she said. "Now if you excuse me, I need to go do more research," She turned around and opened the door.

"Well isn't this an interesting conversation?" Hermione gasped and Ron almost fell off of the bed.

"Fi?" Harry asked. "What are you doing here?" he asked. Fi handed him a large vial full of the potion.

"It came right after you left," she said darkly. "Right disturbed my dinner,"

"Harry, she knows?" Ron asked. Harry sighed.

"Forgot to introduce you," he said. "Ron, Hermione, this is Fiona, she's a werewolf too; Fi, this is Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger,"

"We've met," Fi said. She turned back to Harry. "I've got to go, see you... whenever,"

"Bye," Harry said. Fi left through the door and shut it behind her.

"She's in a mood," Ron said.

"She's got only three," Harry said. "Super-angry, super-depressed, and super-happydrunk,"

"Harry!" Hermione snapped. "I'm sure she's just very tired, and perhaps a bit grouchy,"

"No, really, she's almost always like this these days. Just wait until Beltane and the Spring Fever's caught," Harry said.

"Beltane?" Hermione asked with interest.

"Oh no," Harry said. "It's a holiday, one of those crazy things that apparently only Fianna do--"

"I know what it is!" Hermione said. "But you celebrate it?"

"Of course we do," Harry said. "There's grub and strawberries by the crate and flowers--- mountains of flowers-- and alcohol and sometimes other tribes and... other stuff," Harry said. "It's not until May anyways,"

"Can I go?" Hermione asked.

"What?" Harry and Ron asked.

"Well it'd be great to see how the werewolf nation celebrates celtic holidays," Hermione said. "I've never really seen a werewolf up close but--" Harry gestured to himself. "So I have, but--"

"You're insane," Harry said. "But, yeah all right. I guess you can go,"

"What?" Ron asked.

"But you cannot do _anything _stupid," Harry said.

"I promise," Hermione said.

---------------

Over the next few months, several odd things happened around Hogwarts. Some of them horrible, but most just odd.

Firstly, Harry began to see Marlaina walking around a lot more, but she never spoke to him. In fact, she right ignored him a few times. Other times she saw him and started walking the other way.

A few days after that, a series of robberies occured. Several robes, vests, trousers and trainers were reported missing in Gryffindor tower. Harry found a pair of Nikes gone from his own trunk. McGonagall warned the students that whoever was doing this would be punished unless they came forward with their loot. No one came forward.

Several students reported fights, but when a teacher went to see, there was nothing there. These students got detentions and points off.

It was rumored that it was simply a large influx of new ghosts; slightly violent, fun-loving wraiths that snipped people's hair off and played with the cats. And then the bad things started to happen, all of the owls went missing, and somebody started messing with the portraits. The best thing out of all of this, was that someone ransacked Snape's office and classroom, forcing all of the students to skip Potions for two weeks as he tried to get everything in order again.

And then Harry figured out why.

Marlaina was running a touring business. He figured it out when he saw her leading a small pack of cubs and cliaths from different tribes into the dungeons. He had a feeling she had the whole school memorized like the back of her hand, because she never seemed to get lost. The business was running quite a profit too. Cubs were trading excess food, animals, little sisters and clothing for a chance to see a real live magic school. And in return, Harry learned from Felan that each of them took a jellied eye home from the dungeons (which would explain why Snape was walking around white faced for so long).

Harry found himself spending most of his free time following the tour group and making sure they stayed out of trouble or a teacher didn't run into them. He'd even gotten Ron roped into babysitting the unruly Garou with him. When he saw many of the girls (including Marlaina) making what could only be described as 'googly eyes' at Ron, he decided it was time for Ron to take a break (lest he get attacked by one of the girls, Harry'd seen it happen before). Then he employed Hermione to help him keep them in line, but soon he was alone again as Hermione got tired of the girls fawning over her hair.

Fi didn't come around Hogwarts much anymore, Harry assumed it was because of her leg and Felan confirmed that ("Mafalda says that she says that hopping on one leg for a few miles, is not fun,") and as it got closer and closer to Beltane, the mysterious robbings started again and there were larger and larger crowds following Marlaina. This made more and more teachers turn their heads when the crowd passed by. Harry eventually told Marlaina to take the crowds around a night only.

"No!" she said. "People don't want to see an empty magic school, they want to see the magic _people_," she said.

"Come on, can't you please change it to night time?" Harry asked.

"For what?" Marlaina asked.

"We're packmates, Marlaina. You should do this out of the kindness of your heart," Harry said.

"Tough luck, Potter. What's in it for me?" Marlaina asked. Harry thought for a moment.

"Access to the kitchens--"

"We already know where they are," Marlaina said. Harry thought some more.

"Access to the Gryffindor dormitory?" he asked.

"Hm..." Marlaina thought for a moment. "That's good, but won't people notice?"

"You're herding a crowd around, I think they've _already _noticed," Harry said. Marlaina stuck out her tongue.

"Fine," she said. "It's a deal. I'll have the Ragabash cliaths do Blur of the Milky eye and the others do as well as they can,"

"Blur of the Milky Eye?" Harry asked.

"It's an invisibility thing," Marlaina said. "Didn't Felan tell you? He's a Ragabash, he ought to have learned it by now," So that's how he'd been getting around school...

"What other things can a Ragabash do?" Harry asked.

"At Felan's level? Practically nothin'. Um.. Blur of the Milky Eye, Open Seal, Scent of Running Water-- that's how they hide their scents-- and Blissful Ignorance, like Blur of the Milky Eye but they have to stay still," Marlaina said.

"Hm..." Harry said. "Thanks,"

"Do you want to know about Philodoxes now?" Marlaina asked. Harry shook his head.

"Fi's out of order," 

"But Mafalda isn't," Marlaina said. "Anyways, I've got to go stop them from making a mess of that office again, toodles!" Marlaina started off in the direction of the dungeons.

------------------

"Get another one!"

"No!"

"Get another one!"

"No!"

"Get--"

"No!" Fi snapped. "I'm not getting any more holes in my head for your cheap thrills!" she growled.

"Sorry," Dee Philips said. "...Just one more, another one in the belly button?" she asked.

"NO!"

"Come on, you're the only one who can actually withstand the pain," Charlotte wheedled.

"No!" Fi grabbed one of the bottles of brandy off of the table and drank out of it. "Now leave me alone!"

"Belly button!" Dee said.

"How about an eyebrow?" Charlotte asked. Fi shook her head. It had been two days since Dee Philips, Charlotte and a few Black Fury cliaths had discovered that she was about the only girl who wouldn't flinch when she got an eyebrow piercing. So they pressured her into getting more and more piercings; currently she had four in each ear, two in her bottom lip, three in her right eyebrow, one in her nose, and two in her belly button.

She walked to her cave and drew back the curtain across the entrance. What was inside almost made her drop the bottle of brandy (almost, but she got ahold of herself). Seven girls, all decked out in Black Fury gear, were sitting in a circle braiding each other's hair and talking. The _other _seven Foley sisters (there were also four more Foley brothers, but no one spoke of them ever since they became eunuchs), ranging from the oldest (in her early thirties) to the youngest at fifteen they were Titania, Hippolyta, Hermia, Helena, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed (in Fi's opinion, Marlaina got the good name). One of the sisters looked up at Fi and stopped braiding her sister's long, curly dark-red hair.

"Fiona!" she said. The other sisters looked up and there were surprised cries of "Fiona!" all around. Fi tried to move but her feet seemed glued to the spot.

"Hi... Mustardseed," Fi said, managing a weak wave. She really wished that they would get out of _her _room; even if it had once belonged to all eight sisters (including Marlaina), once Moth and Cobweb moved out, Mustardseed and Marlaina moved into a smaller one, making this one available. But that didn't matter, because it was _hers _now.

"We're going to be here until after Beltane, so we'd thought we'd use the old territory again, is that okay?" she asked kindly. Fi nodded quickly and stepped back.

"I'll... just... get new room," she squeaked, and ran the other way. She stopped at one cavemouth and went inside. Fi slumped down against the wall and grabbed a small green plastic soldier off of the wooden box. She looked at it for a while from all angles. "Hey, this is mine!"

"Fi?" Felan asked, coming in with a bowl in his hands.

"I'm going to be sleeping here for a while," Fi said. "Okay?" Felan shrugged.

"So we're all right?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Fi said.

"You forgot what you were mad at me for?" Felan asked.

"Almost certainly," Fi said. Felan looked at her face carefully.

"Why do you have so many rings in your face?" he asked.

"Long story," Fi said.

"I have time," Felan said. He leaned over and sniffed her. "And... why do you smell like rubbing alcohol?"

--------------------

Harry was still in disbelief as he woke up on May first and got dressed. Hermione and Ron, coming to Beltane? It was mad. Now, not only did he need an excuse, he had to make one up for the other two. He quickly got dressed and woke Ron up.

"Why do we have to go this early?" Ron asked. Harry checked his watch.

"It's eight," he said.

"It's Saturday," Ron said.

"Do you want to go or not?" Harry asked.

"Fine," Ron said. "This better be worth it,"

"It will," Harry said. "But we have to go over some rules when we're going," he said, looking through his trunk for his invisibility cloak.

---------------

"Owowowowow," Fi took out the nosering and threw against the wall, it landed in a pile where the eyebrow rings were also laying. "Okay, now for the belly button," she lifted her shirt and looked at her bruised stomach. "Maybe later," she said. But... what was it that Black Fury girl had said about not taking them out for six weeks?...

"Fi," Felan said running into the cave. "Want to go hunting?" he asked.

"Nah," Fi said, gesturing to her face. "I've got some work to do," she said.

"You sure?" Felan asked. "Trey said he found a really cool place to hunt for sheep," he said.

"I'm sure," Fi said.

"Come on, it's Beltane. Don't you know what that means?" Felan asked. Fi thought for a moment, then it hit her.

"NOT IN YOUR LIFE!" she yelled.

"Not _that_," Felan said. "Keep your mind out of the grubhole," he said. "Beltane means _we _young folk get a chance to act as stupid as we like, and they'll blame it on spring fever," he said. Fi rolled her eyes.

"Felan, if you were any stupider you'd be a leech," she said. Felan sighed.

"Do you want to go hunting or not?" he asked.

"Fine," Fi said. "I guess I can," she said.

"Great," Felan said. "Wait here though," he ran somewhere while Fi poked at where the nosering had been. Felan came back with a bag full of raw, bloody meat. He threw it to her. "All of the girls have to put this on," he said. Fi looked at the bag.

"Exactly what kind of _sheep _are we talking about here?" she asked, getting up.

"The ones that hunt with dogs," Felan said with a smile.

"Ah, humans," Fi said. "Sorry, I'm not into getting shot again,"

"You were shot _at_, you were not shot," Felan corrected.

"I think I'll wait until Harry gets here," she said, giving the zip-lock bag back.

"Please?" Felan asked. Suddenly, he stopped and sniffed the air. "Do you smell what I do?" Fi sniffed the air.

"Anxiety, fear, light giddiness?" she asked sarcastically.

"No," Felan said. "Food,"

"Of course," Fi said. "That _would _be the only thing you-- Hey!" Felan raced out of the cave and to the fire where they were roasting a large deer.

"Hi, Felan," Torra walked over to him. She handed him a bag. "Get some grubs,"

"Damn," Felan said. Fi laughed from where she was standing.

"She got you," she said. Someone tapped her on the shoulder and Fi turned around to see Felan's mother holding a tubberware container.

"You've got ant duty, Fiona," she said. 

"But it's Beltane!" Fi protested. She put a hand to her head. "And I'm feeling a bit... sicky,"

"Nice try," Mrs. Caolaidhe said. "There ought to be some by where Felan's getting his grubs, you can follow him," she said.

"Bollocks," Fi said, taking the plastic container.

"No cursing, thank you," Mrs. Caolaidhe walked away as Fi went up to Felan.

"You got lucky," she growled. Felan howled with laughter. A few minutes later, Felan was pushing over a rotting log. Several multi-colored, wormy larvae were squirming around. Fi gulped. "I don't see any ants," she said quickly. Felan grabbed her arm before she could run.

"There they are," he said, pointing to a trail of red ants.

"I'm not picking up fire ants, stupid," she said.

"Just get them," Felan said, sticking his hand into the wormy mess and putting the grubs into the bag. Fi rocked on her feet for a few seconds, before looking up. She walked somewhere a few feet off and grabbed up a snake.

"Hey, Felan! Look!" she said, showing him the snake.

"Fi put that down," Felan said. Fi shook her head and looked at the snake.

"I think I'll keep it," she said, with a smile. "To eat," Felan shook his head.

"Have we switched roles here?" he asked as Fi got out her pocket knife. "Put it down!" he said.

"No!" Fi said.

"Yes!" Felan said.

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"I thought I heard you two," said a voice. They both turned around to see Harry standing with Hermione and Ron.

"Harry!" Fi yelled. "Erm... with boy and frizzy girl,"

"Harry, can you get Fi to _not _eat the snake?" Felan asked.

"Shut up, rabbit-boy," Fi said.

"I thought your leg was broken?" Harry said.

"It healed," Fi said. "What are you doing here? With...them?"

"Ron and Hermione wanted to come to Beltane," Harry said.

"Humans?" Fi hissed. "There are going to be lupus there!"

"And possibly Red Talons," Felan said. "And you _know _how they are,"

"But as far as anyone else knows, they're kinfolk," Harry said.

"You know Torra's going to put them to work," Fi said. "Or Mrs. Caolaidhe, she gave ant duty. As a matter of fact," she looked at Hermione. "Would you like to help me with my chores?"

"NO!" Felan yelled. "Harry, are you absolutely sure that nothing will go wrong?" he asked.

"Almost sure," Harry said. "They're already wizards so the Delirium won't matter,"

"This is risky," Felan said. "Especially with the Black Furies around and... oh no,"

"What?" Harry asked.

"The Foley sisters are here," Fi said. "And they've all got a thing for red hair,"

"What?" Ron squeaked.

"Don't worry," Harry said. "We'll just, keep you away from them,"

"I think it would be quite funny," Fi said. "Also, he looks a lot taller than... how old are you?" she asked.

"Twelve," Ron said.

"Well, you're tall like Mustardseed, and Mustardseed is the tallest considering they're all pint-sized," Fi said.

"It's true," Felan said. "They'd be after him like the a cat after a mouse," he turned to Fi. "And Marlaina's not pint sized," 

"That's because you are too," Fi said. "Rabbit-Marlaina-lover-boy,"

"I thought we were beyond that!" Felan said.

"Never!" Fi said. 

"Enough!" Harry said. He pointed to Fi. "You, go do your ant duty," she growled and walked away. "Felan, I'll go talk to Alpha Male about this. Can you get them to the caves without the Foley sisters seeing them?" he asked.

"Almost certainly," Felan said. "But I'm afraid not without a few of the Black Fury girls seeing her," he nodded to Hermione.

"Doesn't matter," Harry said. "Just get them to your cave," he said. Felan nodded. Harry turned to Ron and Hermione. "This is about the sanest way we can get you through," he said. "You all right with this?"

"Yes," Hermione said.

"Yeah," Ron said. "And, who are the Foley sisters?" he asked.

"No one," Harry said. "But if you see any girls in big packs, run."

"Got it," Ron said. Fi came back with the plastic container full of ants, and the snake wrapped around her arm.

"H-harry," she said. "It's cutting off my circulation," Harry rolled his eyes, he grabbed the snake off of her arm and threw it over his shoulder.

"Happy?" he asked. Fi nodded.

"Now what are we doing again?" she asked.

"You and Felan are going to take--"

"Fuzzy and Foley-bait to Felan's den, I've got it," she said.

"Are you ever going to say their names?" Harry whispered. Fi looked over his shoulder at the two humans.

"Weasel-boy and Sheep-girl," she said. "That's their names to me,"

"It's better than Rotten fish-girl," Harry said. "If that's they're names, then what's your name for me?" he asked.

"I haven't thought one up yet," Fi said. "Unlike others I have met, you don't exactly act like a rabbit, a weasel or a sheep," she said. "And even if I had an animal for you, I wouldn't tell you if you asked like that," she said. Harry narrowed his eyes.

"Fine," he said. "I'm going to see Odyn about them," he said. Fi waved as Harry ran off to Odyn's cave. She turned to Felan.

"What're we going to do with them?" she asked. Felan shrugged.

"You take the girl, I'll take the boy," he said.

"But the Black Furies are more apt to talk to me than you, and they'll see her... I'll take the Weasel-boy," Fi said. 

"Stop calling me that!" Ron said.

"Weasel-boy, weasel-boy, weasel, weasel, weasel-boy!" Fi said.

"Oh this is fun," Felan said. He nodded to Hermione. "Come on, we'd better get going, they're taking out the May Pole right now and if you want to see it..."

"We'll go the other way around," Fi said. "By the hollow tree, towards the pond," she said.

"Great," Felan said. "Come on, Hermione, right?" Hermione nodded.

"And your name is?"

"Felan, Felan Caolaidhe," Felan said.

"Of the Shadowlord Caolaidhes?" Hermione asked.

"They're cousins," Felan said. Fi watched them leave until a ant bit her, bringing her out of her daydreaming.

"Ow," she flicked the ant off of her arm. "We'd better get going," she said.

--------------------

When Harry made it to Odyn's cave, he went inside. He hadn't been in there in a while, but everything still looked the same in the long walkway (how had the walkway gotten there?) to the center room. But no one was there.

_Oh great_, Harry thought, _of course, it's Beltane. He's outside with everybody else!_ He walked back out of the cave and looked around. The May Pole was going up, there was Trey glaring at Felan, oh! There he was, talking to Hippolyta Foley! Wait, why was he talking to Hippolyta Foley? Talking wasn't exactly the right word, they were... arguing. Better not tell him about Ron and Hermione right _now_.

Harry looked back to where Trey was glaring at Felan. Wasn't Felan supposed to be watching Ron and Hermione? Harry's eyes scanned the crowd and he saw Hermione watching the May Pole go up. But then where were the other two? There was Marlaina, and then there was Fi talking to Marlaina. And then Marlaina shoved Fi, Fi shoved her back.

"Oh, this is good," Harry said. He ran up to where Fi tried to kick Marlaina, but Marlaina caught her leg and twisted it. And now Fi was on the floor, howling like a banshee and clutching her leg.

"Legs aren't that strong, are they Fi?" Marlaina asked. Fi set her gaze on Marlaina and Marlaina stumbled back as if she'd been hit by something. "NO FAIR!" she yelled, clutching her eyes.

"You started it!" Fi said. "Bacchantes' Rage is a Black Fury gift, isn't it?" she growled. Harry rushed over to Fi.

"Fi, where's Ron?" he asked.

"Felan's den," Fi said. "Marlaina got a little... jealous of him," she said. "Hey, help me up will you?" Harry grabbed her arm and pulled her up.

"What is it with you and getting crippled before holidays?" he asked.

"It's a gift really," Fi said. "Oh, look a pussy!" she pointed to a large gray cat. "What's it doing here?"

-------------------

A/N: So this is where the chapter ends. I'm not especially proud of this one. The next chapter is either going to be the last chapter or the next to last chapter. I'm trying to keep it under twenty and the twentieth is going to be the halfchapter/half epilogue thing. As you see, in this chapter there is no Mafalda. And in the next chapter, everything starts to wrap up. You may have noticed that the cat at the end of this chapter was, in fact, Miss Kitty from the last chapter. You don't need to remember any of the Foley sisters (with the possible exception of Marlaina), but I managed to name them all after Shakespeare characters, so I'm exceptionally happy about that.

You may have also noticed that I (regret to inform you that) am not going to put Norbert in this story. If anything, I'm going to put him in the sequel because I really hate leaving Norbert out, it's bugging me to leave him out, seeing as he's my favorite dragon dude. Although in the next chapter, they will go into the forest with Hagrid and Neville and Malfoy because that would be too much to leave out.

I'm sorry if I offended anyone with the inclusion of the holiday Beltane (and the fact that I cannot do justice to any holiday), I don't actually celebrate the holiday myself so I wouldn't know how to celebrate it.

A little note about what Harry said about Fi ("She's in a mood," Ron said. "She's got only three," Harry said. "Super-angry, super-depressed, and super-happydrunk," ): Fi was actually written in to embody the Bone Gnawer's view of how a Fianna acts (I read it somewhere), apparently they have only three emotions as listed above, as well as the fact that they love to drink (also, I don't condone underage drinking, it's no joking matter), party, and fight (even as she is a Philodox, there's going to be something in here as it goes along about her love of fighting when she's really not supposed to like fighting that much). There was this one quote from a Glass Walker's point of view about Fianna also being great in the sack, but I thought that was a little racy seeing as how they are, in fact, eleven.

A little note about Marlaina: She's an Ahroun (people who are familiar with Werewolf: The Apocalypse will understand this) and her sisters are Black Furies. I think it's natural that they'd teach their little sis how to do a few tricks (the werewolf equivelent of your big sisters teaching you how to ride the bike).

So, that being said, I must do my traditional cliche: (insert food here) AND (insert drink/other food here) TO ALL REVIEWERS! I'll ask for seventy reviews this time. Although I expect about 5, I'll ask for 70. Bye!


	18. Into the Forbidden Forest

Into the Forbidden Forest

"Ohh, my stomach hurts," Ron moaned.

"You shouldn't have had that brandy," Hermione said.

"It's not my fault people were offering drinks here and there and here and there," Ron said. "Seriously, Harry, does anyone there actually drink _water_?" he asked.

"Very rarely," Harry said. "And that's usually when they accidently breath in while they're swimming,"

"The bonfires were fun though," Ron said.

"You're lucky they actually cooked some of the food," Harry said. It was late at night on May 2nd, the festivities were still going on, but they had to get back to Hogwarts before breakfast. "Hey, Ron, what did they serve the brandy to you in?" Harry asked.

"Um... a red bowl," Ron said.

"Glass or plastic?" Harry asked.

"Plastic,"

"We'd better get you to Madam Pomfrey then," Harry said.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Well, plastic bowls are used to hold the 'experimental' drinks," Harry said. "Just tell me if you start feeling any symptoms of typhoid or small pox,"

"Will do," Ron said.

"Did you drink anything, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Cider," Hermione said. "It was in a cup,"

"Okay, that's good then," Harry said. "And since everyone here still has their skin, I'll say none of you made any 'bad phase of the moon' jokes around the Black Furies," a strangled scream came from behind them. "And there's someone who did,"

"They do look like a vicious lot," Ron said. "Why are they so angry?"

"They're Black Furies, Ron," Harry said. "Being vicious and angry is like their job or something,"

"Harry, that's not fair," Hermione said. "I talked to one of them and she was very educated actually,"

"Hermione," Harry said. "They _kill _their male children,"

"Until recently when they started giving them to other tribes," Hermione said. "They say that the women have a better connection to the mother earth than men do, and that the moon goddess Artemis created them and told them to protect the wild, avenge women and punish men." She said as they emerged from the forest.

"Who did you talk to?" Harry asked.

"A woman named Posy," Hermione said.

"I don't know her," Harry said. "She must be new here or something,"

"Hey, this may be the brandy talking, but does anyone else see that little white person?" Ron asked.

"It's only when you open your eyes, Ron," Harry said.

"No, there really is a person over there," Hermione said squinting. Harry rubbed his eyes and squinted, he saw a person running into the castle.

"Oh great," he said. "We'll have to run,"

"I don't feel up to running, Harry," Ron said. "I feel kind of--" he hit the ground with a thump, making Harry and Hermione turn around.

"This is fun," Harry said, crouching so he could look at Ron. "I knew there was something funny about that brandy,"

"YOU THERE!" it was Filch, and he was walking towards them.

"Where's the invisibility cloak?" Hermione asked.

"Back with Felan," Harry said. "This cannot be happening,"

---------

Filch took them to Professor McGonagall's study, where they sat and waited without saying a word to eachother (although, on Ron's part it was because he was unconcious and beginning to grow green fur). Hermione was shaking. Excuses, alibis and wild cover-up stories chased each other around Harry's mind, each more feeble than the last. How could he have forgotten the cloak? In Felan's den? It was sitting _right_ there when they left. Professor McGonagall wouldn't take any excuses about being out of bed, and--- even worse, they had been near the forbidden forest which was totally out of bounds. They might as well have packed their bags already.

And the cloak. If the cloak was in Felan's hands, it would probably be in Marlaina's hands by morning. And knowing Marlaina... oh no, she was going to _sell _it.

"Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall walked briskly into the room. "Potter," There were two things that could happen when she called him "Potter", he would either be on the Quidditch team, or he would be in trouble. Seeing as he was already on the Quidditch team, it would probably be the latter. "I would never have believed it of any of you-- especially you Miss Granger-- on the edge of the forest, at one o'clock in the morning. _Explain yourselves_," she said.

There was silence. Hermione stared at her slippers, Harry stared at the window (hoping that Marlaina hadn't already auctioned off his cloak) and Ron snored slightly.

"It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that--- Weasley, look at me!" she snapped. Harry started a mantra in his head, _don't notice the fur, don't realize what happened, don't notice the fur, don't realize what happened. _

"I am disgusted," Professor McGonagall said. "Four students out of bed in one night, I have never heard of such a thing. And one of you seems to be under some type of spell also,"

"He's sick," Harry said. "He accidently ate something bad... out of the lake," he immediately regretted saying anything. Would Professor McGonagall believe that story?

"What did he eat?" Professor McGonagall asked shrewdly.

"Seaweed, I don't know," Harry said.

"All three of you are to recieve detentions--- yes, even Mr. Weasley, nothing gives you permission to be out at night, especially near the forest. And fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor,"

"Fifty?" Harry gasped. They would lose their lead.

"Fifty points each," Professor McGonagall said. "I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students. Now you two go to your bedrooms. I'll have Mr. Weasley taken to the hospital wing,"

A hundred and fifty points lost. That put Gryffindor in last place, and any chance they had at the house cup, _gone_. How could they ever make up for this? Worse, everyone would know about this by the time the morning came.

As the Gryffindors passed the giant hourglasses that recorded the house points, they thought it was a mistake at first. How could they lose one hundred and fifty points within a night? And then the story spread: Harry Potter, the hero-with-the-bad-eyesight-and-glasses, the first year that one two Quidditch matches, had lost them all those points. Along with his other two friends; one of which was in the hospital wing with what Madam Pomfrey said was a very contagious form of a strange mix of small pox, typhoid and (surprisingly) syphilis. This also made Harry wonder what exactly the Fianna were putting in their drinks.

From being the most admired and popular person at the school, Harry plummeted to being hated by everyone. Except for maybe the Slytherins who cheered when he went by. The only person who managed to stand by him, was Ron. In his hospital bed, looking horribly pale and sweaty with heavy-lidded eyes.

"They'll get over it in a few weeks," Ron wheezed. Apparently whatever he'd drinken also managed to attack his voice box. Harry sent a letter to Torra asking her what they put in the Beltane brandy. Hedwig came back looking like he just went to hell and back, and Harry promised he'd never send her back there again. Torra sent Felan up with another bottle of brew, _antidote _brew (at least, that's what she called it).

"It does wonders," Felan said. "It's the same stuff that Torra shoves down Fi's throat a few times a day. Puts you out like the dead for a few hours, then you're up and feeling better than ever but really hungry. I think that's where the brandy kicks in; but after that, you're puking a lot, and then, nothing."

"You've tried it then?" Harry asked. Felan nodded.

"And it tastes like goats milk and honey," Felan said.  
  
"Goats milk?" Harry asked. "And here I thought it was all about the intestines,"

"Trust me, it isn't," Felan said.

"What does it have in it?" Harry asked.

"I dunno, and Torra's not telling her secret recipes to anybody but her cat," Felan said.

Later, Harry managed to get Ron to drink the 'Antidote brew' and Ron fell asleep for about a day, and then he seemed fine. Five hours after that, he started vomiting up his stomach contents, and after that he was fine again.

"Water, milk and pumpkin juice, the rest of my natural life," Ron swore.

"Good for you," Harry said.

"Maybe a bit of Odgen's Firewhiskey, but it must be _bottled _and sealed," Ron said.

"Very good for you," Harry said.

Then Harry was subjected to more insults and ridicule from other people. So he did something he thought he'd never do; he studied for the upcoming exams. He, Ron and Hermione kept to themselves, working late into the night, trying to remember the ingredients in complicated potions, learn charms and spells by heart, memorize the dates of magical discoveries and goblin rebellions... Everything was going so well. And then he got the letter from Dymphna.

Harry was almost reluctant to open the letter first, he was committed to not meddling in anything anymore. But eventually he opened it and read it.

_Dear Harry,_

_Sorry I haven't been mailing you lately. I was in Greece having a vacation (courtesy of my father). Katerina got a new job though, she now works at a hypermarket in France. So, now I am without a flatmate again. She'll come back and visit, but it won't be the same, so I'm putting an advertisement in the paper for another flatmate. _

_And so, to answer your question from... a long time ago. The Philosophers stone can turn any metal into gold and makes the Elixer of Life. Sorry, I've got to go, I've got a dinner party with Aunt Grizzy and Uncle Ansgar to attend (they always serve caviar, I hate the stuff. Really). _

_Dymphna_

"Turn any metal into gold and makes the Elixer of life?" Harry asked.

The same morning, notes were delivered to Harry, Hermione and Ron at the breakfast table. They were all the same:

_Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight. Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall. _

_Professor M. McGonagall_

Harry had forgotten that they still had to do detentions. He almost expected Hermione to complain about losing a night of study, but she didn't say a word.

At eleven o'clock that night, they left the common room and went down to the entrance hall. Filch was already there with Malfoy.

"Follow me," Filch said, lighting a lamp and leading them outside. "I bet you'll think twice about breaking the rules next time--" doubtful, but maybe, "Oh yes... hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me... It's a pity they let the old punishments die out... hang you by your wrists from the cieling for days, I've still got the chains in my office..." They marched across the grounds. Harry wondered how horrible their punishment would be. It must be really horrible, or Filch wouldn't be so happy.

"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started." Hagrid shouted. This was good, if they were working with Hagrid, it wouldn't be so bad. Right?

"I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that big oaf?" Filch asked. "Well, think again, boy-- it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."

Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks.

"The forest? We can't go in there-- there are... werewolves," he said with a note of panic in his voice. Harry suddenly felt vastly superior.

"That's your problem, isn't it?" Filch asked. Hagrid came striding toward them out of the dark, Fang at his heel.

"Abou' time," he said. "I bin waitin' fer half and hour already."

"I'll be back at dawn," Filch said, "for what's left of them," he added nastily. He turned and started back towards the castle. Malfoy turned to Hagrid.

"I'm not going into the forest," he said.

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," Hagrid said. "Right then, now listen carefully, 'cuse it's dangerous what we're about to do. Follow me over here a moment," He led them to the edge of the forest. Holding up his lamp, he pointed into the forest. "See that shinin' stuff on the ground there, that's unicorns blood. There's a unicorn in there that's been hurt bad by summat. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out out of it's misery."

"Right now, we're going to split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'ren directions." he said.

"I want Fang," Malfoy said quickly.

"All right," Hagrid said. "I warn yeh, he's a bloody coward. So me, Harry an' Hermione will go one way. Ron, Draco an' Fang'll go the other. If any of us is in trouble, or finds unicorn, send up red sparks an' we'll come and find yeh-- so be careful. Let's go." The forest was dark and silent. They walked a little ways before they reached a fork in the path, Malfoy and Ron went one way with Fang, Harry, Hermione and Hagrid went the other. They walked in silence with their eyes on the ground. Every once in a while, the moon would shine through the trees and illuminate a spot of silver-blue blood on the leaves.

"Hagrid," Hermione started. "Could a werewolf be killing the unicorns?"

"Not fast enough," Hagrid said. "It's not easy to catch one, they're powerful creatures."

"But what if they... got it as a fun?" Harry asked, strongly reminded of Trey and the others heading out to play jokes on humans and make their dogs bark at seemingly nothing.

"It's still not probable," Hagrid said. They walked past a mossy tree stump. Harry could hear running water; there must be a stream nearby. Suddenly, Hermione grabbed Hagrid's arm.

"Look, red sparks! The others are in trouble!" she said.

"You two wait here!" Hagrid shouted. "Stay on the path! I'll be back!" They heard him crashing away through the undergrowth and stood looking at each other, very scared. The minutes seemed to drag by until, at last, a great crunching noise was heard. Hagrid was back and looked very mad.

"I swear, it wasn't me!" Malfoy said. Apparently, Malfoy had snuck up behind Ron as a joke, and Ron panicked and sent up the red sparks.

"We're changin' groups," Hagrid said. "Ron, you come with me and Hermione. Harry, you go with Fang and this idiot,"

So Harry set off to the heart of the forest with Malfoy and Fang. They walked for nearly a half an hour until the path became to obscured to follow. Harry looked ahead and saw something white gleaming on the ground.

"Look," he whispered, holding out his arm to stop Malfoy. They inched closer. It was the unicorn all right, and it was definitely dead.

"Maybe what killed it is long gone," Malfoy said. If Harry hadn't been so scared, he would have probably laughed at the fear in Malfoy's voice. He heard a slithering noise, like a snake and a cloaked figure rose from behind the unicorn with silvery blood dripping from the robes. Malfoy screamed and bolted, along with Fang.

Harry seemed glued to the spot and couldn't really feel his feet anymore and his scar burned, his head pounded, everything seemed to hurt. As the thing advanced on him, he fell backwards onto his back. He heard hooves behind him.

_Oh great, now _it_'s calling it's friends, _he thought. Something jumped clear over him and charged at the figure. Harry closed his eyes to try to shut out the pain in his head and when he opened them, the thing was gone. But somebody-- no, something-- was standing over him. A young man with white-blonde hair and a horses body.

"Centaur," Harry whispered, remembering a story that Felan's mother had told him.

"Are you all right?" the centaur asked. Harry nodded.

"What was that?" he asked. The centaur didn't answer. He had astonishing blue eyes, like pale sapphires. He looked at Harry carefully, his eyes lingering on Harry's forehead.

"Harry Potter," he said. Harry nodded again. "You had better get back to Hagrid, the forest is not safe at this time-- especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way. My name is Firenze," Firenze lowered himself so that Harry could clamber onto his back. He thought to ask the question again, but he might as well be polite.

"Firenze-rhya," he started, using the suffix for those greater in station. "What was that thing that attacked me?" Firenze stopped.

"Harry Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?" Firenze asked. _Really great lager? I don't know..._ Harry thought.

"No," Harry said. "We only use the horn and tail hairs in potions,"

"That is because it is a terrible thing, to slay a unicorn," Firenze said. "The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death. But at a horrible price. You have slain something so pure and defenceless to save yourself, that you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips,"

Pure and defenseless? Did that mean that Fi too would have a cursed life for killing rabbits to eat?

"Who'd be that desperate?" Harry asked. "If you're going to be cursed forever, death's better isn't it?"

"Unless, you need to stay alive long enough to drink something else that would sustain you. That would bring you back to full power," Firenze said. Harry remembered what Dymphna's letter said, '_The Philosopher's stone can turn any metal into gold and make the Elixer of Life_'. "Do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?" Firenze asked.

"Of course," Harry said. "The Philosopher's stone,"

"And do you know of nobody who had waited many years to return to power?"

"You mean, that thing over there, drinking the unicorn's blood--- that was Voldemort?" Harry asked.

"Harry! Harry are you all right?" Hermione was running down the path, with Hagrid puffing along behind her.

"I'm fine," Harry said.

"This is where I leave you," Firenze murmured. "You are safe now," Harry slid off of his back. "Good luck, Harry Potter," he turned and cantered back into the depths of the forest.

---------------

When they got back to the common room, Harry told Hermione and Ron what had happened in the forest.

"Snape wants the stone for Voldemort... and Voldemort's waiting in the forest... and all this time I thought he just wanted to get rich -- Snape I mean,"

"Stop saying the name!" Ron said in a terrified whisper. Harry didn't listen.

"So now we just have to wait for Snape to steal the stone," Hermione said. "Then we can prove it's him,"

"But then Voldemort might already be able to finish me off," Harry said.

"But you're forgetting something," Hermione said. "Who's the one person You-Know-Who was ever afraid of? Dumbledore. With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who can't get anywhere near you. With Dumbledore around, you're safe,"

They finally went to bed, exhausted, when the sky turned light. But when Harry pulled back his sheets, he found his invisibility cloak folded underneath them. There was a note pinned to it:

_Your lucky Marlaina didn't get her hands on it,_

_  
Felan_

Then, it came to him. He crumbled the note and tossed it under his bed, then settled in between the sheets. The only way they could stop Voldemort from ever getting the stone, was to steal it themselves.

----------------------

A/N: About twenty minutes until I have to upload this. Two more chapters left to go until the end of the story, and then I start on the sequel. Once again, I've ripped off JKR oodles with this chapter, most of Firenze's speech and Hagrid's speech. I'm still pulling for seventy reviews though. Um....

(Clio: Why am I still here?) Because you're the muse of history, and I need history expertise here. (Clio: Dammit) I don't think I have anything else to say here... oh well, good-bye!


	19. A brief intermission: RPG Fun

And now, for a small intermission (feel free to go to the bathroom or eat a banana. Whichever suits you. If you don't want to go through a few minutes of mindless dribble, then just skip to the bottom where the authors note is):

"You're by yourself, in a dark and dreary room."

"Hey, pass the Cheetos."

"Here,"

"Do you have anymore fizzy pop?"

"Diet or normal?"

"You have _diet_?"

"For the girls who don't want the fattening aspect of shandy,"

"Okay, someone roll the dice!"

"I want to cast Magic Missle!"

"Why are you going to cast Magic Missle? There's nothing to attack!"

"I'll attack... the darkness!"

"Fine, fine, you attack the darkness,"

"Pass the Cheetos, please."

"I am Glorfiel! SORCERER OF LIGHT!"

"Do I see this happening?"

"No! You're outside, by the tavern!"

"Roll the dice, see if I'm getting drunk."

"Yes, you are!"

"Oh, okay. Are there girls around?"

"No, why?"

"Well, send a girl over to the tavern!"

"To the tavern-- full of _drunk old men_? That's suicide!"

"No, it's statuatory rape,"

"Pedophilia,"

"We get it,"

"I'm walking out of the room. I'm standing outside with you guys."

"My turn to roll,"

"Ouch, who bit me?"

"Sorry, that was me."

"Yes! A cyclops! MAGIC MISSLE!"

"Kaploosh,"

"Thank you, sound effect person."

"You're welcome, arsehole."

"I'll roll next,"

"Roll, fool!"

"Okay...

"The tension is unbearable."

"Aw! Nothing!"

"Okay, your turn, Marlaina."

"Where're the dice?"

"Here are the dice,"

"What's it say?"

"Says here that I'm hearing a sound,"

"What kind of sound?"

"I dunno, it just says 'a sound',"

"That's specific."

"Shut up-- oops,"

"What happened?"

"I just spilled my pop all over Felan's toy soldiers-- why do you have them lined up like that anyways?"

"Stop acting the maggot, Marlaina."

"No, I really-- okay, fine, I didn't."

"No, wait. I think she did, I can smell the mix of lemonade and dyed plastic."

"SHITE!"

"Wow, you run fast when your toys are in danger, Caolaidhe."

"That must've been at least a hundred miles per hour!"

"I've got to go clean 'em off. Trey, play for me, will ya?"

"No problem,"

"And no cheating! Make sure he doesn't cheat!"

"Okay."

"He's gone, switch his men around."

"No, he remembers these things. Don't do it,"

"Do it!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"I won't do it,"

" Hey, I think I know what the sound is!"

"What is it?"

"A level five Black Dragon is coming towards us."

"A level five Black Dragon? Yeah right, they wouldn't sick a level five Black Dragon on a level three group!"

"I think you just got killed."

"You _think_?"

"I'm back, everything the same?"

"Yes, _Master _Felan."

"Don't be smart, Marlaina. Be pretty and dumb, it's much more suiting for a brasser of your caliber."

"Why you little--"

"People, the game?"

"Right,"

"Right,"

"Quick, run into the cave before it kills us too!"

"Wait, what are we running from?"

"Marlaina managed to attract a dragon with her Wild Jungle perfume."

"A level five dragon,"

"She's dead,"

"Brill. Who's turn is it?"

"Chandra's,"

"Okay... now roll."

"It says we've found a cave of treasure--"

"WHOO! Cave of treasure!"

"Hey look, a level skipping Magic Mirror!"

"Quick, grab it!"

"No! It's a trap!"

"A trap? In a cave of treasure? How cliched is that?"

"Just be careful,"

"Okay... I'll poke it with my sword..."

"There goes all of your life points,"

"Does anyone have a life-restoring draught? Quick! Feed it to me while I'm not a zombie!"

"No, you sold it for an Instant Brewer-- which was stolen."

"BLOODY COBBLERS!"

"The cheeky monkey and Richie Rich are out; three to go, including, as I never thought, ginger-boy."

"Did you just call _me _a cheeky monkey?"

"Did you just call me queer?"

"I said ginger-boy, not queer,"

"Well it means it! Why'd you say _that_?"

"Well, there was this rumor that this Glass Walker girl told Martha who told Gitany, who told Poppy, who told--"

"Listen, as much as we'd _love _to hear the whole history of this rumor, can we play?"

"You can't say anything, you're out!"

"And we're stuck in a cave with a giant Black Dragon hovering over our entrance."

"Hey, at least we've still got all of the treasure in the cave!"

"But aren't caves of treasure usually guarded by level nine Green Serpents?"

"Yeah they-- uh oh. I'm dead,"

"Me too."

"Me three."

"WHOO! LAST PERSON STANDING!"

"No... no, you're dead too,"

"Damn it!"

"So, play again?"

"Sure. But this time, I'm the group leader, you led us into Bovine Bars all the time!"

"Hey! There's little to no difference between Bovine Bars and Human Bars! And plus, those bovine girls..."

"Stop chuckling! They're cows!"

"Yes, literally! They _are _cows!"

"Let's pick randomly. I say we pick me,"

"That _was _random."

------------

A/N: Just a little interlude to reassure you that the story's still going. The next chapter's just taking an abnormal amount of time getting out, that and I have to keep editing and cutting things out. Deleting the whole chapter and then starting again. It sucks. So, this is the RPG Interlude. The game is played by some of the OCs: Felan, Marlaina, Chandra the Black Fury, Trey, Dee and Bryon. It's just a little reminder that even though they are hunter-gatherer werewolves, they also need other things to entertain themselves with. Such as board games and crossword puzzles; they _do _live in the modern world you know, it's not all fighting and drinking (though that is a lot of it), sometimes they like to _pretend _to drink and fight.

Trey was the 'last person standing', Marlaina got bitten by Felan, Felan asked for the Cheetos (which for the purpose of the chapter, exist in England), Chandra asked why they had diet fizzy pop, Trey was the group leader, Trey was also 'ginger-boy' (which translates to 'queer boy')and Marlaina was the first one dead ('cheeky monkey'). Trey was also the one that asked if they could send a girl to the tavern, Dee poked the level skipping mirror, Marlaina heard the sound, Felan wanted to cast Magic Missle a lot (he was Gorfiel, Sorcerer of Light), and Bryon was the 'special effects person'. That's about it, since I wasn't up to doing all of the 'he said' 'she said' 'he yelled' 'she whooped' stuff.

The nineteenth chapter should be out soon folks! Promise! Just as soon as I find my copy of HPSS, because only then will I be able to achieve the proper plagiarizing effect. Bye!

PS: The 'ginger-boy' thing will be partially explained in the next chapter.


	20. The Philosopher's Stone

The Philosopher's Stone

The days seemed to go by quicker during the exams. Everything seemed normal and Harry dismissed his thought about stealing the Stone, it was crazy. After their very last exam in History of Magic, they were free. Free for a whole wonderful week until the results came back.

"I needn't have learned about the whole Werewolf Code of Conduct," Hermione said. "Or the uprising of Elfric the Eager for that matter."

"Werewolf Code of Conduct?" Harry asked. "Like the Litany? You learned the whole Litany?"

"But I really didn't have to, it was all about the wizards who invented self-stirring cauldrons. It was actually quite refreshing." Hermione said.

"Speak for yourself," Ron said as they sat down under a tree by the lake. "You could look more cheerful, Harry. We've got about a week before we know how horribly we did. No need to worry just yet..." Harry was rubbing his forehead.

"It's not that," he said. "I just wish I knew why my scar keeps hurting."

"Maybe you should go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested.

"No, I don't think I'm ill or anything. It's just, I think there's something bad coming..."

"Relax, Harry. Everything's all right, the Stone's okay, there aren't as many you-know-what's around here anymore --"

"Why aren't there anymore..." Hermione tried to think of a word, "Garou around?"

"Because they're all either celebrating the summer or going through their _own _exams right about now." Harry said. "Oh, that's what I forgotten! Exams at the caves... I'll have to do the whole year in a few weeks during the summer..."

"Harry, you'll do fine. Plus, what do they have exams there for? Drinking and fighting?" Ron asked.

"Actually, more 'Brewing' and 'Combat', along with speciality classes and learning about the twelve sagas of the Fianna..." Harry sighed. "I'm going to have to learn all of that this summer..." Suddenly, another flash of pain went through his scar. "Ouch," he said, his hand flying up to his forehead. "Something bad is definitely close." he said.

"Hey, Harry." Harry turned around to see Fi standing behind him.

"Well we know where the pain is coming from," he said dryly. "How'd you manage to get down here?"

"Torra finally found the secret ingredient to make bones regrow." Fi said. "There are conflicting reports of what it actually is though,"

"Where's Felan?" Harry asked.

"He left for his 'Daddo's farm two days ago." Fi explained.

"You guys already done with the examinations?"

"Well, they had to postpone fighting because a lot of girls aren't in the _condition_, and some of the boys have broken bones that aren't good for it at all. Anatomy's been torture, they're making us write notes like anything. Philodox training hasn't been so bad, Wheeden's certainly gone a bit daft since he found out his thirteen-year-old daughter's not in the fighting condition either." She said, starting to itch the back of her neck.

"Fighting condition?" Ron asked.

"She's... well, let's just say she's eating for two now. Well, Torra says it's more like three, but she could be wrong..."

"So Felan left for his Grandpa's?" Harry asked, trying to change the subject.

"He's coming back next month and if he dies, he's specified that I'm not allowed near his collection of toy soldiers and his room is going to his mom." Fi said. "What about you?"

"Everything seems fine," Harry said. Fi hissed and scratched at her arm ferociously.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked. Harry watched her for a few seconds before scooting away.

"Fi, when was the last time a feral wolf came to visit?" he asked. She shrugged.

"I don't know, two weeks ago. I still had a broken leg though,"

"Fi, you've got fleas." Harry said. "Hey, did you touch Felan's toy soldier collection?"

"I don't think that's the point here," Fi said, trying to reach her back.

"No, it is the point. He traps his toy soldier box with flea eggs while he's gone," Harry said.

"How do you know?" Fi asked.

"Because this happened three years ago, remember?" Harry asked. Fi thought for a moment.

"Oh yeah," she said. "I got to go!" She hopped up and ran to the castle.

"Where's she going?" Ron asked.

"Probably to take a shower," Harry said. "That's usually what gets rid of them for her. Dee's not like that though. She once got fleas and had to have her head shaved, she got really mad, then she got drunk and started spilling all the secrets she'd been holding. Wait a minute,"

"What?" Ron asked. Harry turned towards them and scooted back in.

"People get drunk, they start rabbiting things they're not supposed to talk about. And, does anyone else think that Hagrid already sort of tells people a lot that they're not supposed to know?" Harry asked.

"That's true," Hermione said. "And he does tend to go out for pick-me-ups,"

"And Snape knows that he's the one that brought in the dog, so what if Hagrid's on the piss and he's so drunk he doesn't know that he's telling this secret information?" Harry asked.

"So Snape might have been there when he was talking about the dog?" Ron asked. "That's a bit of a stretch,"

"But it's possible." Harry said. "Let's ask him," he said, getting up and starting to walk over.

"But won't it seem a bit obvious?" Hermione asked, catching up along with Ron. "Us just asking him if he's told anyone about the dog?"

"We'll break out the brandy, see if it's obvious then," Harry said, starting to sprint across the grounds. Hagrid was sitting in a chair outside of his house, shelling peas with his trousersand sleeves rolled up.

"Hullo," he said, smiling. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"

"We're in a bit of a hurry," Harry said. "I've got to ask you something. Do you ever talk to people at the pub?"

"'Course I do," Hagrid said. "Rich, int'resting folk down at the Hog's Head,"

"Do you they ever ask you about your job here?" Harry asked.

"Might come up," Hagrid said, frowning. "Sometimes,"

"Do you ever talk about the three-headed dog?" Harry asked. Hagrid looked at him suspiciously.

"What are you going on about now? You're not still on about Fluffy, are you?"

"It has a name?" Harry blurted. "Anyways, do you ever talk about Fluffy?"

"It came up with one feller. Asked me about the sorta creatures I look after.... young bloke, seemed real interested in a career in handling animals. I told him, after something like Fluffy, yeh could handle anything." Hagrid said.

"Did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked.

"Well -- yeah -- how many three-headed dogs do you meet? Even in around here. I told him Fluffy's a piece of cake, you just need to know how to calm 'im, jus' play a bit of music and he falls straight to sleep!"

_Well _that _didn't need any bitter. _Harry thought. Hagrid looked horrified.

"Shouldn'ta told yeh that!" he blurted out. "Forget I said it -- hey, where're you going?"

Without a word, Harry, Ron and Hermione ran to the entrance hall which seemed very gloomy and dark after being out in the sun.

"We've got to go see Dumbledore," Harry said. "Hagrid told a stranger how to get past Fluffy, and I'll bet the toy soldiers collection that that stranger was Snape or Voldemort,"

"What if Dumbledore doesn't believe us though?" Ron asked.

"He's got to, we've _almost _got some _very _good proof," Harry said. "Just -- where's Dumbledore's office?" They looked around, hoping to see a sign that might point them there. They had never been told where Dumbledore lived, and no one they knew had ever been there.

"What are you doing inside?" a voice rang out across the hall. It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books.

"We need to see Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said, rather bravely, Harry thought.

"See Professor Dumbledore?" McGonagall repeated, as if this were a very strange thing to do. "Why?" she asked.

"It's... private," Harry said. Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared.

"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she said coldly. "He recieved an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once."

"He's _gone_?" Ron asked. "_Now_?"

"Is your question more important than the Ministry of Magic, Weasley?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Look," Harry said. "We need to talk to Professor Dumbledore quickly, it's about --- it's about the Philosopher's Stone --" the books in Professor McGonagall's hands tumbled out of her arms, but she didn't go to pick them up.

"How do you know--?"

"We think that Sn-- someone is trying to steal it. We really need to talk to him!" Harry said.

"Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," she said. "I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but be rest assured, it is very safe."

"But Professor--"

"Potter, I do believe I know what I'm talking about. I suggest you all go outside and enjoy the sunshine."

They didn't.

It turned out, Harry's idea of stealing the Stone seemed quite sane now.

"It has to be tonight, Snape has everything he needs and now he has Dumbledore out of his way. I bet he sent that note to Dumbledore too," Harry said, once McGonagall was out of earshot.

"But what are we--"

"Good afternoon," came a smooth voice. Harry and Ron turned around to see Professor Snape standing behind them. "Now, what would three young Gryffindors be doing inside on a day like this?" he asked. Harry was about to answer when he realized he had nothing to say. "You'll want to be more careful," said Snape. "Someone might think you were up to something," Harry gulped. They turned to go outside, but Snape called after them.

"Be warned, Potter --- any more nighttime wanderings and I will see to it personally that you are expelled!" He walked off in the direction of the staffroom. When they were out on the stone steps, Harry turned to the others.

"Okay, this is what we have to do. Hermione, you keep an eye on Snape. If he catches you near the staffroom... make something up,"

"Okay," Hermione nodded.

"Ron and I will stay outside the third-floor corridor, just in case someone tries to get past Fluffy." Harry said. But that part of the plan didn't work exactly as he'd planned. When they got to the entrance to the third-floor corridor, McGonagall appeared again; and this time, she was angry.

"I suppose you think you're harder than the enchantments put up! Well, if I see you near here again, I'll take points from Gryffindor!" she screeched.

"Well, at least Hermione's on Snape's tail," said Harry once they'd gotten back to the common room. The common room was deserted, everyone was down at dinner except for Ron and Harry it seemed. That was when...

"AAAAAARGH!" Marlaina came tumbling down the girl's staircase and landed on the floor. She looked up the stairs. "You!" she hissed.

"Marlaina?" Harry asked. Marlaina whipped around.

"Oh, you." She said. "Talk to Fi," Fi came walking down the stairs.

"Oh, you," she said when she saw Harry. "Don't you have dinner or something?"

"What happened?" Ron asked.

"Marlaina was stealing," Fi said.

"Was not!" Marlaina yelled. "I was _returning_,"

"'Course, stuff you stole!" Fi retorted. "And plus, you're the one who started it."

"Did not!" Marlaina said.

"Yes you did, with the Bacchantes' Rage!" Fi exclaimed.

"Did it leave a mark?" Marlaina asked, grinning.

"To hell with you!"

"To hell with you!"

"Stop it!" Harry shouted, when Fi had grabbed Marlaina's long hair and Marlaina had her hands around Fi's throat.

"No, I want to watch this." Ron said.

"Ron, they're going to kill eachother," Harry whispered.

"Oh, well then. Yeah, stop it!" Ron yelled too.

"Okay, look," Harry started. "Both of you have to go back to the caves. If there's going to be any killing, I'd rather it be there!"

"Just what are you getting at?" Fi asked, letting go of Marlaina's hair. Marlaina also released her hold on Fi's neck.

"Are you saying that this _dump _is too good for a fight?" Marlaina inquired.

"Yes, that is _exactly _what I'm saying," Harry said. "Now go, or I'll--- I'll tell Torra who drank her last bottle of cherry-banana-jalepeño-flavored vodka." Harry could practically hear Fi flush. "And tell Trey who spread that rumor to those trampy Bone Gnawer girls that he wasn't into girls!" Marlaina's eyes widened.

"We're gone," Marlaina squeaked.

"Just say the word," Fi said.

"I'm saying the word," Harry growled. "And I don't want to see you, or any other Garou, anywhere near the school or I will do exactly as I said. Got it?"

"Got it," Fi nodded.

"It's been gotten," Marlaina said. They shuffled towards the portrait hole whispering in rapid Anharm, the werewolf language. Right before they got to the portrait hole, Harry heard Fi giggle.

"Harry," Ron started, "when you get mad, you get scary."

"I think I scared myself a bit too," Harry said, once the two girls were out of the common room. A few minutes later, the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Hermione climbed through the hole.

"I'm so sorry!" she wailed. "I was standing by the staffroom when Snape came out and asked me what I was doing there. I told him I was there to see Flitwick and he went to get him-- I only just got away!"

"So, guess that's it then," Harry muttered.

"What's it?" Ron asked.

"I'm going to steal the stone,"

"But you can't!" Hermione said.

"You're mad," Ron said.

"You don't understand. If Snape or Voldemort gets the Stone, then I'll be non-existant; and if I'm non-existant, it will start a load of things. Voldemort will come back to power, he'll kill everything he sees. The Fianna will wage war, the Red Talons will make an even bigger war. Muggles will die, wizards will die, werewolves will die-- which'll just make them start an _even bigger _war. Then on the other hand, if I get expelled and sent back to the Fianna, then it'll just be a little more time until Voldemort eventually gets me and will possibly wipe out the entire tribe-- which will make an even bigger war than that. So either way, there's war, there's dying; but at least this way I can try and stop it." Harry sighed.

"Okay, but you're not going alone," Ron said. Hermione nodded.

"We're coming with you," she agreed.

"But, it'll be dangerous," Harry said. "You might get expelled,"

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Hermione said darkly. "Flitwick told me in private that I got a hundred and twelve on his exam. They're not going to expel me after that."

* * *

After dinner, the three of them sat nervously in front of the fire. Every once in a while, Harry would look behind his shoulder to see how many people were still in the common room. Hermione was checking over her notes, presumably to find something that might come in handy to break the enchantments. Ron was staring tensely into the fire.

When the last person, Lee Jordan, finally left, Ron muttered to Harry, "Better go get the cloak." Harry nodded and went upstairs. He pulled his cloak from his trunk, then went back downstairs.

"We'd better put the cloak on here, so we can check if it covers everything." Harry said.

"What are you doing?" asked a voice. They whipped around to see Neville appearing from behind an armchair. He was clutching Trevor the toad, who looked as if he'd just been making another leap for freedom.

"Nothing, Neville. We're not doing anything," Harry said guiltily, he dropped the cloak.

"Yes you are, you're going out again!" Neville said. "Well, I won't let you! You'll get Gryffindor in trouble again!"

"Neville, we won't get anyone in trouble!" Harry said. "Just-- forget you ever saw us,"

"I won't let you go!" Neville said. "I-I'll fight you!" he raised his fists in what Harry supposed was a fighting position.

"Hermione, you're the smart one, do something!" Ron whispered.

"Neville, I'm really, really sorry about this." Hermione stepped forward and raised her wand. "_Petrificus Totalus!" _Neville's legs snapped together and his arms went to his side. He swayed for a moment, before falling over flat on his back.

Harry's own hand went to his mouth in surprise, he looked at Neville for a moment.

"That's pretty cool," he said smiling. Hermione glared at him. "In a not good way," Harry added.

"What did you do to him?" Ron asked.

"It's the Full Body-Bind," Hermione said miserably. "Oh Neville, I'm so sorry!"

"Let's go before anyone else pops out of armchairs," Ron muttered darkly as he stepped over Neville. Neville's eyes followed them as they donned the invisibility cloak and pushed the portrait hole open.

But leaving someone motionless in the common room did not seem like a very good omen. As they walked through the corridors, every shadow looked like Filch or Mrs. Norris, every breath of wind sounded like Peeves swooping down on them. Nonetheless, they managed to get to the third-floor corridor unseen.

"Are you guys sure about this?" Harry asked, as they paused in front of the door leading to Fluffy.

"Positive," Hermione said.

"You're sure? Because I understand if you'll go back, you can even take the cloak."

"We're going," Ron said firmly. Harry nodded and opened the door to Fluffy's room.

"What's that sound?" he asked.

"It's..." Hermione paused and listened. "A harp," she said. Indeed, inside of the room, a harp was standing up on it's own and playing. Fluffy was snoozing, all six eyes closed.

"The trap door is under it's paw," Ron said, pointing. "So who wants to go and lift it?" he asked. There was silence as the harp started playing the Sugar Plum Fairy dance.

"I'll get it," Harry said finally. He walked forward until he was standing in front of the three-headed dog. He hesitated slightly before bending down and lifting the huge paw up a little and away from the trap door. Ron and Hermione went to open the trap door.

"So, who's going down first?" Ron asked. There was another silence.

"Guess I'll go," Harry said. "I'll yell up if it's okay, if it's not... send an owl to Dumbledore," they nodded and Harry gulped. "Wish me luck," he dived.

He fell miles and miles into pitch-blackness. Cold air rushed past him as he dropped. Until... FLUMP.

Harry had landed on some sort of pillowy plant. He felt around as he tried to catch his breath, then called up.

"It's all right! You can come down!" Ron landed next to Harry, face down.

"What is this?" he asked.

"I don't know, some kind of plant-- but I'm really happy it's here." Harry said as Ron righted himself. The distant harp music stopped and Harry could hear Fluffy bark, but Hermione had already jumped. She landed on the other side of Harry.

"Wow, we must be miles under the school," she said in wonder.

"I know, lucky this plant thing's here," Ron said. Hermione looked around.

"_Lucky_?" she shrieked. "Look at the two of you!" She leapt up and struggled towards the wall as long, snake-like tendrils went after her. As for Harry and Ron, the long vines had already wrapped around their legs without them noticing.

Hermione managed to free herself from the plant and stood against the wall.

"Hermione! Help us!" Ron yelled.

"Be quiet, both of you! This plant is called Devil's Snare!"

"That's great, knowing what it's called is really going to help us!" Ron snarled.

"Shut up!" Harry said. Devil's Snare, where did he know that from. _That's right, _he thought, while trying to keep a long tentacle from wrapping around his neck, _we were learning about it in class last year... Oh, what was Torra saying about it?... Mix with vodka. Damn it. _

"I'm trying to remember what kills it!" Hermione said. "Devil's Snare, Devil's snare... it likes the dark and damp but not warmth,"

"So light a fire!" Harry bellowed.

"But there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands.

"Have you gone mad?" Ron yelled. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"

"Oh, right!" Hermione got out her wand and pointed it at the plant. She muttered a few words and bluebell flames shot out at the plant. Immediately, Harry felt the tendrils cringe away from him, allowing him and Ron to scramble up onto the ledge that Hermione was standing on. Harry leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath.

"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione," Harry said.

"Yeah, and lucky Harry doesn't lose his head in a crisis," Ron muttered. "Seriously-- 'there's no fire',"

"Which way do we go now?" Hermione asked, ignoring Ron. Harry looked around, there was only one passageway that lead away from there.

"Guess down this way," he said, pointing. As they walked down the narrow passageway, all they could hear aside from their own footsteps was the slow trickling of water. After a few minutes, they reached a doorway. Harry opened it and they found themselves in a pitch-black room.

"Where are we?" Harry asked. Harry stepped inside carefully and the room suddenly lit up.

"Looks like... a chessboard," Ron said, looking around. Indeed, it was a chessboard. On their side were giant black chess pieces, and on the other side were strange, faceless white pieces. He went up to the knight. "Do we have to play to get across?" he asked. There was a loud, creaking sound as the knight nodded. "And we have to take the place of pieces, right?" he asked. The knight nodded again. "Okay, so..." Ron turned back around. "No offense, but you two aren't exactly the best chess players..."

"None taken," Harry said.

"Just tell us where to go," Hermione agreed.

"Great," Ron said. He thought for a moment. "Harry, you take the place of the bishop over there. Hermione, you go next to him as the castle."

"What about you?" Harry asked.

"I'm going to be a knight," Ron said determinedly. At that, the three chess pieces turned and walked off the board, leaving the spots free. Harry, Hermione and Ron quickly took those spots. "White goes first," Ron muttered. "Yes... there it is," one of the white pawns moved forward two spaces. "Harry, move four spaces diagonally," Ron ordered. Harry tried to keep his knees from trembling as he walked. What if they lost?

The first real shock was when their other knight was taken. The queen smashed him to the floor in a sort of 'No mercy; you get up, I'll just kick you back down' sort of way, then dragged him off the board. The white pieces continued to take many black pieces until there was a small huddle of them against the wall. Ron darted across the board, taking as many white pieces has they had taken.

"We're nearly there," he mumbled. "Just a few more moves... let me think--" he stopped suddenly. "Yes, it's the only way. I've got to be taken," he said.

"What? No!" Harry exclaimed.

"It's the only way, Harry!" Ron snapped. "That's just chess; you've got to make some sacrifices!"

"There's got to be another way!" Hermione said. There was no alternative.

"Look," Ron said. "I'm going to be taken, and after I am, Harry will be able to checkmate the king. When you've won, leave immediately. All right?" Harry and Hermione nodded solemnly. Ron move forward and the white queen pounced. She smacked his head with her large, stone hand and he crumpled to the ground.

"Ron!" Hermione shrieked, but stayed on her square. Harry took a deep breath and moved forward diagonally. He stopped when he was next to the king.

"Checkmate," he said. The king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. "We've won, come on!" Harry yelled. Hermione hurried up to him, they took one last look at Ron lying on the floor, then walked through the doorway.

There was nothing very frightening in the next room, just a table with seven bottles and a piece of paper. When they were into the room, purple flames shot up, blocking the doorway; then a split second later, black flames shot up in the doorway leading on.

"So, how does this work?" Harry asked rhetorically. They went towards the table and looked at the paper.

_Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind, _

_Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Another will transport the drinker back instead,_

_Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line. _

_Choose unless you wish to stay here forevermore,_

_To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly the poison tries to hide,_

_You will always find some on the nettle wine's left side;_

_Second, different are are those who stand on either end, _

_But if you would move onward, neither is your friend; _

_Third as you see clearly, all are different size,_

_Neither dwarf nor giant holds death on their insides;_

_Fourth, the second left and the second on the right_

_Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight. _

Hermione sighed and smiled. Harry looked at her incredulously, smiling was about the last thing on his mind.

"_Brilliant,"_ Hermione said. "This isn't magic, it's logic. It's a puzzle! A lot of great wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever." Harry picked up one of the bottles curiously, uncorked it, and sniffed it.

"A lot of good werewolves would too," he said. "It doesn't smell like anything."

"Of course not," Hermione said. "Everything we need is here on the paper. Seven bottles, two are nettle wine, seven are poisons and seven will help us."

"But how do we know which one to drink?"

"Just give me a minute," Hermione read the paper several times. She pointed to a few of the bottles, muttered to herself and walked around them. At last she clapped her hands together. "I've got it!" she said proudly. "The smallest bottle will get us through the fire towards the Stone, and the round one will get us through the purple fire towards the purple fire."

"But there's only enough of the small bottle for one of us," Harry said. "That's hardly a swallow," They looked at eachother. "Hermione, I think you should go back," Harry decided. "Get Ron, go back up to the school and send an owl to Dumbledore immediately. We need him. I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but not for long,"

"But, what if You-Know-Who's with him?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I was lucky once, right?" Harry pointed to his scar. "Maybe I'll get lucky again... who knows, maybe I'll get him drunk, _then _kill him."

"Harry, don't joke about this," Hermione's lip trembled.

"I wasn't joking, that's really how I think--" Hermione had suddenly dashed at Harry, cutting him off as she hugged him. "Hermione!"

"Harry, you're a great wizard." She said, letting go of him.

"Not as good as you are," he said, very embarassed.

"Me? Books and cleverness? There are more important things, like friendship and bravery. Harry, be careful!" Harry smiled. He was very happy to have friends like Hermione and Ron; Fi and Felan, though good friends in their own way, couldn't really measure up.

"Okay," he said. "You drink first. You're sure which one it is, right?"

"Positive," Hermione said. She took a long drink from the roung bottle at the end and shuddered.

"It's not poison, is it?" Harry asked anxiously.

"No, but it's like ice."

"Quick, go, before it wears off."

"Good luck-- take care--"

"Go!" Hermione turned and walked through the purple fire. Harry took a deep breath, picked up the smallest bottle and turned to face the black flames.

"Here I come," he said. He drained the bottle in one gulp and shuddered. It was indeed like ice flooding his body... or that time that someone sealed him in a frozen lake. He put the bottle down and walked forward; he braced himself, saw the black flames licking at his body, but couldn't feel them. For a moment, all he could see was black fire-- then he was on the other side. He was in the last chamber.

But there was already someone there. Not Voldemort, not Snape-- it was Quirrell.

* * *

A/N: Waaah! It took so long. Once again, I must say: I HAD TO RESORT TO PLAGIARIZATION (it's not even a word and I still managed to spell it wrong) TO GET THIS CHAPTER OUT. Pretty much the whole last part was plagiarized. And the beginning too. Yes, I am a very bad writer, I get no cookie. God, what am I going to do when I have to write original fiction?

The next chapter will (hopefully) be the last chapter. I'm 99 sure it will be. Now I have to save this chapter to at least five different disks to make sure that it doesn't get reformatted on the way to the library. I will take this moment to thank all of the reviewers (60 reviews! 60!), and thank all of the people who helped make the story better. I'll just do a quickie (SOOPER SECRET) summary of the sequel now. Not sure on the name yet, but I know there will be a sequel.

Summary: Harry returns to the Fianna to find that the whole camp is on a diet. Vegetables only. The people he once called friends are now shutting him in a cave so they can prepare a banquet for the famous Sutherson sisters (bitten need not attend). Without Felan there to fight his case, Harry is stuck hauling things for the pure-blooded wolves. Meanwhile, a band of vampires known as the Baobhan Sith decide to go on a strike, eating every human that comes into the forest from the outside world. And they have their sights set on the three redheads to pick up Harry Potter.

Warning: Hedwig almost gets eaten exactly 4 times. Of course, that summary's not going to be the one that goes on FF summary, it's just one for the first few chapters.

Fun fact (or not so fun): For the time being, Harry and Fi are the only bitten werewolves in the caves since the Baobhan sith (who, for the purpose of my story, guard the forest from intruders) are pretty damned good at their jobs. The sequel, I believe, will be PG-13, since a lot of the werewolves are starting to grow in their vocabularies.

DONUTS AND MILK TO ALL REVIEWERS! (I have no preset wish this time, just please review).


	21. The Philosopher's Stone Pt 2

The Philosopher's Stone Part Two

It was Quirrell standing in front of the mirror.

"You!" Harry gasped in shock.

"Me," he said calmly. Quirrell smiled; his face wasn't twitching at all. "I was wondering whether you would be meeting me here, Potter."

"But-- but... Snape--"

"Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, s-stuttering Professor Quirrell?" Quirrell laughed. Harry gaped at Quirrell with his mouth open, then he shut it quickly. This was... it was... extremely confusing. Where did Snape fit in all of this now?

"But, Snape tried to kill me!" Harry said.

"No, no, my dear boy. _I _tried to kill you," Quirrell corrected. "Snape tried to save you," Quirrell snapped his fingers and ropes sprang from out of nowhere and wrapped themselves tightly around Harry.

"But... WHAT?" Harry exclaimed, still shocked.

"Now, quiet Potter, I need to examine this interesting mirror..." It was then that Harry realized what Quirrell was standing in front of. It was the Mirror of Erised. "This mirror is the key to finding the Stone..." Quirrell muttered, walking around the frame of the mirror. All Harry could think of doing was to keep Quirrell from concentrating on the mirror. But how did he do that? He needed a good distraction.

"Have you ever seen a werewolf devour a human's brains while the human was still alive and screaming?" Harry asked coolly. Quirrell turned to Harry sharply.

"What?" he asked.

"Have you ever seen a werewolf devo--"

"I heard what you said!" Quirrell shouted. "But why did you say it?" he asked.

"I was just asking," Harry said. "You said that you encountered vampires, but vampires are nothing compared to werewolves."

"What are you onto, Potter?" Quirrell asked. "Oh well, I have no time for idle discussion." He turned back to the mirror to Harry's horror. Harry continued talking; if anything, he could make Quirrell vomit for a good four minutes while he thought about how to get out.

"I mean, the skull is definitely the hardest part of a human, but once the teeth break past it then it's just blood and brain... it's really quite interesting," Harry continued. "The person is dead on contact if they're lucky, minutes if they're not. The pain must be unbearable, having something tearing into your very being-- I wonder if it feels like the thoughts are being ripped from your mind as you're thinking. I wonder if they can even think as they're blood is just pouring out in the quarts,"

Harry really had no idea what he was talking about. He'd seen a dead person all of one time, but never actually witnessed any of the events he was rambling about. But on the other hand, it did seem to have the desired effect on Quirrell. He was shutting his eyes tightly and the blood was draining from his face.

"And then the wolf moves onto neck; it bites deep into the flesh--"

"_SILENCIO!" _Quirrell gasped, pointing his wand at Harry. Harry's voice went out in a flash. He opened his mouth to growl but no sound came out. "I know what you're trying to do here, Potter. You're trying to divert my attention," Quirrell said nervously. "I-it's not working,"

_Then why are you stuttering? _Harry thought to himself. Quirrell smiled and turned back to the mirror.

"Now, I see my desire. I see myself presenting the Stone to my master... but where is it?" he asked. Harry licked his lips and tried to pull his hands out from the ropes as Quirrell spoke. He was starting to get just a little bet scared now... just a little. He slowly and quietly slid to the ground and sat down. Luckily, Quirrell didn't notice.

"What does this mirror do? How does it work? Is the Stone inside of the mirror? Should I break it?" Quirrell asked himself as Harry pulled his feet towards him, trying to pull his shoes off. Then, something caught Harry's attention. A voice.

"_Use the boy... Use the boy..." _

"You heard that too right?" Harry asked skeptically. Quirrell rounded on Harry.

"You! Come here!" Quirrell clapped his hands once and the ropes fell off. Harry slowly got to his feet and walked over reluctantly. Quirrell impatiently grabbed him by the shoulder and directed him towards the mirror. "_Finite Incantatem. _What do you see?" he asked. "Look!" Quirrell backed away and Harry looked in the mirror.

_I must lie, I need to lie... _Harry thought desperately.

"I see... myself and I'm watching Serial Passions... Mark has gone back to Kate and they now have a son... his name is... Ronald..." _Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_

He really saw something much different. It was him, with a large red stone in his hand. The Philosopher's Stone. Mirror-Harry was putting the Stone in his pocket. At that moment, Harry felt something real drop into his pocket.

"Damn it!" Quirrell cursed. He shoved Harry aside and looked in the mirror again. Harry looked from the mirror, to Quirrell. Dare he make a break for it? He could probably get quite far...

Harry hadn't walked three paces when he heard a small, high-pitched voice (which, at first he thought was Mafalda-- which put an equally bad future in his mind). But Quirrell's lips weren't moving.

"_He lies... he lies..." _

"Potter, come back here!" Quirrell yelled. The fear that had left when Harry had gotten the Stone and was on his way out returned, and it bought it's friend 'panic' and 'trembles'. "What did you see?"

"I told you! Serial Passions, Mark and Kate, small son Ronald," Harry summarized. The high voice spoke again.

"Let me speak to him... face to face..."

"But master, you are not strong enough!" Quirrell protested.

"I have strength enough for this..." Harry gulped. He was a bit more afraid of the prospect of going up against Voldemort. His 'trembles' had turned into small seizures now as Quirrell slowly unwrapped his turban. Was Voldemort going to pop out of the back of his head like Athena did to Zeus?

Well, not quite. When Quirrell's turban was completely off, he rotated on the spot. Harry would have screamed, but he settled for yelping. Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face. A really, really ugly face; chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils-- almost like a snake.

"Harry Potter..." it hissed. Harry tried to take a step backwards but a shot of pain went through his body. "See what I have become?" the face said. "Mere shadow and vapor... I have form only when I can share another's body... but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds...Unicorn blood has strengthened me... you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest... and once I have the Elixer of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own... now... Why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"

Harry yelped again. It definitely wasn't a very manly yelp either. He took a step backwards and his body surged with pain as he stumbled.

"Don't be a fool," snarled the face. "Better save your own life and join me... or you'll meet the same end as your parents... They died begging me for mercy," with those few words, Harry's fear turned into anger.

"LIAR!" Harry yelled.

"Your mother... she needn't have died... she was trying to protect you... Now give me the Stone unless you want her to have died in vain." Harry was burning all over from rage, his scar seared with needle-sharp pain.

"Never," he growled. He started running towards the flame door.

"SEIZE HIM!" and the next second, Harry felt Quirrell's hand on his wrist. Harry howled in pain as his scar began to blaze in pain. All of the words Voldemort had said about his parents suddenly came back to him. To Harry's surprise, Quirrell let go of him and staggered back. A bright light blinded Harry and he felt pain envelope his body. The last thing he remembered was the look of horror on Quirrell's face. Then, nothing.

* * *

Something gold was glinting just above him. The Snitch! He tried to catch it, but his arms were too heavy. He blinked. That wasn't the Snitch. It was a pair of glasses. Harry blinked again; it was Dumbledore.

"Good morning, Harry," Dumbledore said. Harry opened his mouth to speak but all that came out was a croak. His throat felt horrible, as if he'd eaten something funny... he had a bad taste in his mouth as well...

Dumbledore calmly passed Harry a pail and turned the other way as Harry began vomiting into the bucket.

"I expected something like that to happen," he said. Harry looked up at Dumbledore's back, before retching again. When he finally finished, he put the pail down and sat back.

"So... I ate him?" Harry asked. "That can't be good for my permanent record,"

"You ate one finger," Dumbledore corrected. "It seems you are not a very dangerous Garou after all, as you have an allergic reaction to human blood or a very sensitive stomach."

"Maybe it's just evil Dark Lord blood," Harry said sullenly. "Which finger?" he asked. Dumbledore raised his pinky and waved it a little. Harry looked around him. He was lying in a bed, in the hospital wing. Next to him was a table piled high with candy.

"Tokens from your friends and admirers," Dumbledore explained. "What happened in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so naturally, the whole school knows!"

"Do they know about the whole... blood condition?" Harry asked. Blood condition, that's a good euphemism to describe lycanthropy, Harry decided.

"Luckily that part we were able to hide from the students."

"How long have I been here?" Harry asked.

"Three days," Dumbledore said. "You woke up periodically to empty your stomach." _A werewolf allergic to human blood,_ Harry thought, _this is not stuff of fairy tales. _

"So you got Hermione's owl?" he asked.

"We must have crossed in midair. No sooner had I reached London than it became clear that my place was here. I arrived just in time to stop you from eating Quirrell's ring finger." Harry chuckled.

"That's good, we wouldn't want that happening. What happened to Quirrell?"

"The stress of having a being trapped in your head is very strong, Quirrell was unable to handle it." Dumbledore said calmly.

"He's dead?" Harry asked. Dumbledore nodded. "And the Stone?"

"Destroyed," Harry looked at his lap.

"I'm sorry I caused so much trouble," he said in a low voice.

"Trouble?" Dumbledore asked. "You possibly saved us all from a fate worse than death,"

"But, sir, even if the Stone's gone... Vo-- You-Know-Who--"

"Call him Voldemort, Harry. Always use the proper name for things."

"Right, Voldemort. Doesn't he have other ways of coming back to life?" Harry asked.

"He isn't dead, Harry. He is still out there, perhaps looking for another body to share. He left Quirrell to die; nevertheless, you only delayed his return and have given us time to prepare for the next time." Harry nodded, but stopped quickly because it made his head pound.

"And now if you'll excuse me, I have a feeling someone wants to be let in," Dumbledore looked towards the window and Harry followed his gaze. He could see two pairs of hands on the ledge of the window. Fi and... Felan?

"Professor Dumbledore?" Harry asked. "If you had a question about a friend that you wanted to ask them, and it was a really important question... how would you go about that?" Dumbledore smiled. He leaned over and whispered something into Harry's ear that made Harry's eyes widen. "I thought so," Harry said. Dumbledore smiled and walked over to the window. He opened it up and the two cubs pulled themselves into the room unceremoniusly.

"About bloody time!" Felan wheezed. "You know how hard it is to keep yourself from fidgeting while hangin' over a sill so that no one sees ya?" he asked.

"Don't you ever use the door?" Harry asked. Fi stood up and held out her hand to Dumbledore.

"'Sup with your voice, Potter?" Felan asked gruffly.

"'Sup with your voice? You sound Irish again," Harry joked. Felan stuck out his tongue.

"Professor Dumbledore, it's good to see you. Ignore the talking rabbit over there, he's been going spare for quite a while," she said. Dumbledore shook her hand. He turned to Harry.

"Remember what I said," he said, then walked out of the room, shutting the door firmly behind him.

"All righty then, we've got to make this quite a short visit because I've got to catch the next bus back to Daddo's," Felan said. "Let's skip the hugging and embracing and get right back to the gritty details that I can use to make Aunt Aibhlin's eyes pop right out of their sockets."

"Yeah, I want to know something that Marlaina doesn't," Fi said. "Felan, don't eat that," she said. Felan reluctantly put down the potion and pulled over a chair.

"Now talk, Pine Tree," he snarled. Harry smiled and began to tell them the whole story.

* * *

When Harry got out of the hospital wing, Hermione and Ron were waiting impatiently in the common room.

"_Harry!" _Hermione flung her arms around him again and Harry flinched.

"You're hurting me," he said, his voice still very croaky.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Hermione was beaming. "Oh, Harry, we weren't sure you were going to-- Dumbledore was so worried!"

"The whole school's talking about it!" Ron said. "What _really _happened?" he asked. Harry told them everything: Quirrell; Voldemort poking out of the back of Quirrell's head; the mirror; Voldemort insulting his parents; and the Stone... Ron and Hermione were a very good audience. They gasped when in all of the right places, their eyes widened in all of the right places and Hermione screamed twice. Once when Harry told her about Voldemort under Quirrell's turban, and the next time when he told her he ate Quirrell's pinky.

"You ate his pinky?" Ron asked. "How did it taste? Don't tell me it tasted good--"

"Don't worry, I'm allergic," Harry said. He pointed to his throat for emphasis.

"That's good," Hermione said. "That way you won't get any... you know, cravings."

"I don't get cravings anyways," Harry protested.

"So, the Stone's gone?" Ron asked finally. Harry nodded.

"That's what Dumbledore said," Harry said.

"D'you think he meant to do it? By sending you your father's cloak and all?" Ron queried.

"Well, if he did that's really dangerous," Hermione chastised. "We could have died,"

"Not really," Harry said. "Dumbledore's a funny man. He knows a lot more than any of us do. He had a pretty good idea that we were going to try this and helped us along,"

"He's off his rocker," Ron said simply with a hint of pride in his voice.

* * *

After a good night's sleep, Harry felt almost back to normal. His throat still felt like he'd tried to swallow a few hundred fireworks, and he still couldn't speak very well, but it was worth it. Harry made his way down to the end-of-year feast with Hermione and Ron. When they entered the already full great hall, there was a sudden hush. It was decked out in the Slytherin colors, green and silver, and a huge banner with a snake on it was on the wall behind the High Table.

Harry, Hermione and Ron sat down at Gryffindor table. Harry ignored the fact that people were practically breaking their necks trying to get a good look at him. Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived a few moments later and the murmurs died away.

"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said happily. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into this delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were... you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before our next year starts..." Unfortunately, that wasn't a choice for Harry.

"Now as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding; the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six; and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."

There was a fresh storm of cheering, yelling and whistling from the Slytherin table. It was a sickening sight.

"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin," Dumbledore paused. "However, there are a few last minute points to award!" The room seemed to freeze. "Ahem, let me see... Yes. To Mr. Ron Weasley, fifty points are awarded to Gryffindor house for the best played game of chess this school has seen in many years..."

Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the cieling. At last there was silence again.

"Second-- to Miss Hermione Granger... for the cool use of intellect in the face of danger, I award Gryffindor house fifty points." The Gryffindors were beside themselves as they cheered. "And third! To Mr. Harry Potter," the room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. "For pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points!" The yelling was deafening. Especially to Harry who had to cover his ears to keep out the excess noise. Those who could add up while shouting knew that Gryffindor now had the same amount of points as Slytherin. Dumbledore raised his hand and it was quiet once more.

"And lastly, to Mr. Neville Longbottom-- it takes great courage to stand up to ones enemies, but even greater courage to stand up to ones friends... I award Gryffindor house ten points!" Harry could have sworn that the castle itself shook with the yelling from Gryffindor table. Harry saw Malfoy, white as a sheet and completely stunned.

"Which means, we need a change of decoration." Dumbledore clapped his hands and the green and silver hangings became scarlet and gold, and the banner of a snake became the banner of a lion. Harry was so happy, that he didn't notice that after dinner, the Slytherins all seemed to be rushing to the bathrooms covering their mouths. He did catch a glimpse of Marlaina and Charlotte near the entrance of the Great Hall with a huge plastic bag in their hands though. He'd worry about the implications of that later though.

Soon, exam results were passed back. Harry and Ron both did good, Hermione did best out of all of the first years (of course) and Neville managed to scrape up good marks.

Suddenly, the wardrobes were empty; trunks were packed. Notes were handed back to the students; warning them not to use magic over summer holiday. Hagrid was there to take them down to the fleet of boats again. They sailed across the lake and Harry was about to board the Hogwarts express when Hagrid stopped him.

"Yeh didn' think yeh were about to leave without saying good-bye, did yeh?" he asked. Harry grinned. "Well, I've got a present for yeh," Hagrid took a large, leather-bound volume out of his jacket and handed it to Harry.

"What's this?" Harry asked.

"Open it," Hagrid said. Harry opened the book to find many wizard photographs of his mother and father, smiling and waving at him. "I sent owls off ter all yer parents' old friends, askin' fer photos... knew yeh didn' have any... d'yeh like it?" Harry couldn't speak, but Hagrid understood.

Harry boarded the Hogwarts Express with the book tucked tightly under his arm. Everybody was talking and laughing; eating Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans as they sped past Muggle towns; pulling off their wizard robes and putting on jackets and coats; pulling into the platform at King's Cross Station.

It took a while for them all to get off of the platform. A wizened old guard was up by the ticket barrier, letting them go through the gate in twos and threes so they would attract attention.

"You have to come and stay this summer," Ron said to Hermione and Harry. "I'll send an owl,"

"Thanks," said Harry. When they got through the gateway into the Muggle world, people called at him from all sides.

"Bye, Harry!"

"See you, Potter!"

"What's funny is, I don't know any of these people," Harry whispered to Ron.

"You're famous, you know everybody!" Ron said.

"There he is, Mum, there he is, look!" It was Ginny, Ron's little sister, but she wasn't pointing at Ron.

"Harry Potter!" She squealed. "Look, mum! I can see--"

"Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point." Mrs. Weasley smiled down at them.

"Thanks for the fudge and the sweater, Mrs. Weasley," Harry thanked.

"Oh, it was nothing dear," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Ew, someone just sneezed on me!" Harry recognized that voice. He turned around to see Dymphna rubbing her arm a few feet away. Her hair was a platinum blonde and she was sucking on a lolly.

"You must be from Harry's family?" Mrs. Weasley asked. Dymphna looked up, realized that she was being spoken to.

"Uh, in a manner of speaking," Dymphna answered. "I'll be in the car, Potter," she said. She walked away. Harry hung back for a last good-bye with Hermione and Ron.

"See you over summer, then." Ron said.

"Hope you have a nice holiday," Hermione said.

"I will," Harry nodded. "I think it'll be nice to go back to being normal again. Well, as normal as I could get at least..." When Harry walked out to Dymphna's car, she was hovering over a baby's car seat.

"You've got a kid?" Harry asked. Dymphna opened the car boot so that he could put his trunk in.

"Oh, uh.. Harry, this is my cousin, Artie, I'm taking him on vacation to the French Riviera right after we drop you off," Dymphna said. "It's why I got the dye-job, see?" she gestured to her hair. Harry nodded and got into the car. "So, are you all ready to be boring and normal again?" Dymphna asked.

"I guess," Harry said. "Can we stop and get some Mars Bars on the way?"

* * *

**A/N: My first finished story! Wow! I'm so amazed. Okay, the sequel should be out pretty soon. If you're lucky, I'll start working on it right after this. I'm loading on fanfiction dot net right now....**

**First, I want to say thanks to all of the people who put up with this story. Thank you, you all get double milk and cookies! I'll be back with the sequel soon, so look out for it!**


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